Just this once
by Shkeerka
Summary: Serena would do anything to save her sister's life, including seduce a powerful crime boss named Darien Shields. Complete, phew! Finally.
1. Chapter 1

"No, no, no" I said as I paced frantically around our small living room.

"Serena," my sister's best friend, Raye, interrupted rudely as always. "You don't have a choice. Mina needs you to help her."

"NO" I cried and spun around facing the two girls sitting on the worn out brown couch. The room suddenly came into focus and I could see it more clearly than I'd been able to see anything since I'd heard the news, since I'd seen what had happened. The two of them sat on the couch. One blonde haired and broken the other dark and angry. They looked like the opposite sides of the spectrum but they were exactly alike on the inside. The tiny two bedroom apartment was crowded by the few pieces of furniture we'd managed to hunt down but it was home. The wallpaper was peeling off and the carpet still smelled of death from the last renters that had lived here but it was home. Sad and pathetic but it was the best we could do. We were better off than a lot of other people out there.

It was only about half an hour ago that I returned home from an exhausting 12 hour shift at the hospital to find my twin sister bruised, battered and crying on the couch. This wasn't the first time I'd seen her this way but it definitely brought about the worst consequences.

"You think you're so much better than us," Raye said as she glared at me. She sat up rigidly on the edge of the couch ready to jump at any provocation. Her already short red skirt slid up a few more inches offering even more skin. The outfit did what it was designed to do, but the audience she usually sought out wasn't anywhere in sight and I wasn't going to have any of it.

"I don't make my living the way you do," I said snidely. Baiting her wasn't a good idea but the stress of the situation brought out the worst in me and so did Raye.

"You think you're so righteous," she stood quickly. Her long dark hair swung wildly with the movement, it looked more like a weapon than a mane. She was on the verge of exploding but so was I and I didn't care to deal with her at the moment. "You're no better than the rest of us," she said glaring some more. The low lights in the apartment made her features appear darker than usual and intensified the evil in her eyes. She was ready to kill and I was her target.

"Raye, stop" Mina said from her shattered position on the couch. She hadn't really said anything since I found her. Her blues found mine, the same shade but still so different. Even though we looked identical, we were nothing alike. This would never work.

"I can't Mina. You have to understand that I can't." I said pleading with her, hoping she'd understand.

"You won't," Raye rolled her eyes.

"Raye!" Mina cried. "She's not like us, she's innocent. We can't ask her to do this." She sat up and looked at me. Even in the dim light I could make out the bruise that was already swelling up. Her right eye would be swollen shut by tomorrow morning. I sighed.

"Innocent, no one is innocent these days," Raye said but she sat back down on the couch and applied more ice to Mina's face.

Since the economy had taken a turn for the worse, the world had changed. It wasn't just our part of the world that was paved with poverty and crime but the whole world, the whole of planet Earth was ripping itself apart and the innocent and defenseless were paying the highest price. The cruel and heartless were making a killing off the rest of us, both literally and physically. Just today, I'd spent the day watching kids brought into the E.R. broken and dying just to become part of the different gangs that could offer them and their families' protection. Everyone belonged to someone or else they didn't live long, not in the world as it was now. Until tonight, I had always somehow allowed myself to believe that I didn't fit into either of these groups. I was outside it all. Mina belonged to the different gangs. She charmed her way into as many beds as she needed to. She made sure I was always alright. She took the road I wouldn't. She did things I told myself I could never live with. I judged her for her actions. I judged her when she came home broken because some pig was turned on by hurting the women he was with. I judged her for allowing it. I never thought I'd have to see it firsthand.

I was wrong.

"You're such a hypocrite," Raye said from her position on the couch. Her words were sullen and quiet. She wasn't arguing anymore. She meant it.

"Raye," Mina interrupted but Raye shut her up by shoving an ice pack onto her bleeding lips.

"She is," she looked into my eyes. Her violet ones were cold with hatred. "The apartment you live in, how do you think you'd be able to pay for it if Mina didn't do what she does? You wouldn't survive one day if it weren't for Mina, and you know it. But when it comes to helping the hand that feeds you, you're too moral. Hypocrite." The last part was almost unbearable.

"I can't" I whispered. "I just can't. I can't do what you do. I can't be you. He'll know, Mina." I said to Mina because I knew she'd understand. Raye glared at me.

"He hasn't even met her yet," she said.

"It's true," Mina whispered. "And he won't touch you, not tonight. Serena, if I don't show up it will be the end of me. No one breaks an appointment with the biggest crime boss in the Northeast region." Her blue eyes were full of fear.

I hadn't seen her look at me this way since our parents had died when we were children. She was scared, terrified.

"I don't even know how to" I began but Raye interrupted again.

"You don't have to do anything, you dumb bimbo. Darien likes to look the first time he meets you. He won't even touch you. She can't show up like this, but she can't not show up either. We can dress you up and all you have to do is look mildly attractive without tripping over your feet for a few minutes. You have the same parts and you look the same he won't know the difference. You can keep your precious virtue," she added an eye roll to the last part.

"I can't," I whispered again. How could they ask me to do this? Of all the fears I'd ever had this was the worst. I'd seen my mother fall this low, and I'd seen what it did to my father to know what his wife was doing night after night because he couldn't afford to feed his family. I promised myself that I'd never become like that.

"You will do it or Mina will die," Raye said. Her voice was flat. No anger, no emotion whatsoever, just the facts.

I couldn't help the tears that overcame me. Mina didn't meet my eyes. She knew it true and she knew what this meant to me. She knew how much it would hurt me to do it. I closed my eyes and steadied myself. I swore to myself that under no circumstances would this man touch me. I'd rather die than have him touch me. But if it meant that I wouldn't have a sister anymore I would have to do it. I would have to pretend to be her. I'd have to pretend to be a woman for sale to the highest bidder. Tonight the bidder was the biggest crime boss, Darien Shields.

"Okay," I shivered as I said the word. Mina's sobs from before returned. She shook violently on the couch and I found myself unexpectedly calm.

"Finally," Raye said as she reached for the phone. "Hello? Lita could you please come over to Mina's? Yes, the ditz finally agreed to do it. I know," she hung up the phone and raised an eyebrow my way. "So," she eyed me up and down "how can we make you look the least bit attractive to a man?"

An hour later I was dressed in a skintight black getup that covered nothing but still left me gasping for breath. The few strands of material that existed seemed to have no purpose but to suffocate me. I couldn't walk in the shoes without tripping and I couldn't help but blush at the amount of exposed skin. My face was beet red and not in the least bit sexy.

"This is never going to work," Lita said what was on everyone's mind. She uttered the words as they sighed collectively again. This was the ninth outfit they'd forced me into and it still didn't work. Time was running out and I wasn't getting any better at being Mina.

"Maybe we should try the red again," Raye said as she circled me like a crow waiting for its prey to die. I shivered as the images of Raye feasting on my dead carcass rushed into my overly tired brain.

"No," Mina said slowly. Her good eye looked at me and she smiled a sad smile. "We're going about this the wrong way. She's never going to pull of the seductress look. We should play to her strengths." She said as she disappeared into her bedroom again. I wondered what else she could bring out of that small room.

"What strengths?" Raye snorted. She had a snide comment for everything.

"Her innocence" Mina returned with a baby pink see through thing. It couldn't even be called a rag because it covered nothing.

"Mina, no" I said as I backed into the wall behind me. I had nowhere to run. I knew I was outnumbered but I had to try to escape.

"I know it looks um…but it's much more. What I mean is when you put it on" Mina stuttered.

"Oh just hold still and put it on. Jeez it's like you're afraid of showing some skin. You're a nurse, aren't' you?" She said advancing on me.

"Yeah," I said knowing that somehow this answer, any answer would get me into trouble.

"Then you should be used to seeing skin. This is no different. Pretend you're at the hospital doing some lifesaving procedure." She snickered. "Instead of saving lives you're enlightening them."

"Raye, I don't think you're helping the poor girl" Lita said interjecting between us. "Serena, you will look beautiful just try on the outfit." Her motherly tone was always soothing. I nodded.

Ten minutes later, that's exactly how long it took me to get into the tiny getup. I was dressed in sheer pink on top of sheer pink. "I can't wear this," I said as I entered the dim living room. The light bulbs were starting to die out and I was grateful.

"Sure you can, you look hot," Raye said. It was the first nice thing she'd ever said to me.

"I can't prance around like this in the street." I cried.

"You won't, don't you know anything?" Raye said.

"What?" I said.

"You wear a coat over it until you get in the room," Mina replied softly as she handed me her coat. "Just remember all the things I told you." She said.

"What if I can't do this?" I asked for the millionth time.

"That's okay, just be you. Guys like 'em dumb." Raye said as the doorbell rang signaling that the limo had arrived to take me away. If I had been as naïve as they imagined I was, I would have thought of Cinderella and her carriage but I wasn't naïve. I thought of the things that could go wrong and I promised myself again that no matter what, no one would touch me. I would come home the same as I left now.

"You'll be okay," Mina said as she closed the door behind me. I sighed and hoped she was right.

The driver was a bulky man who only looked at me once as I made my way into the vehicle. I felt naked even though I was covered in Mina's beige coat. I didn't look like a prostitute outright but he knew that I was one; he thought I was one and that made me even more nervous. The ride was quiet and when we arrived at the mansion, something I wasn't expecting at all, I was taken by surprise. He led me through the long hallways and the speculative eyes. Some of the men knew Mina. They called her name and said suggestive things. I ignored them. She might have smiled and winked but not me. I couldn't let myself get to that point. This was as low as I'd allow tonight. When the door closed on the other side of me, I was left alone in an open bedroom. It was a large room with an even larger bed. The black silk bedding made me cringe on the inside. I wondered how many women had been forced by circumstance to offer themselves on that bed.

"Mina," a voice said from the shadows. I guess I wasn't alone. "Are you cold?" He asked with a hint of humor.

"No," I managed softly. Mina would never talk like that, I chastised myself immediately. "I'm hot, actually," I said in a sultry purr. I don't know if it worked or not. He laughed again. Maybe not.

"Aren't you just?" he said stepping out of the shadows.

He was tall and lean, not what I'd expected. I expected someone like the driver, someone bulky with muscles and intimidation but not this man. He looked like one of the statues at the museums I'd read about as a kid. I'd never been but I'm sure the sights couldn't have been any better than this man. So, this was Darien Shields. His eyes were a dark blue and his tan skin was unblemished by scars. If I didn't know any better I would have thought he was a man whose focus was spent solely on how he looked but I did know better. His focus was spent on war and crime. He was the reason kids as young as twelve fought to be a part of his gang; he was the reason they died before their time. The outside painted an attractive picture but on the inside he was an ugly murderer.

"Are you going to strip or do I have to help you with that?" he asked as he started toward me.


	2. Chapter 2

"No," I said as I back up. I'm sure I look like a deer in headlights right about now. I stumble over my feet. Mina would never do that. He laughs. I curse myself which only makes him laugh harder. "Why don't you have a seat?" I say as I gesture toward one of the chairs near the far side of the wall. He sits, perched on the edge watching me with undivided attention. This makes me even more nervous. He raises an eyebrow as my shaking hands reach fumble with the buttons of Mina's coat. She'd never be nervous I silently tell myself. With the last button I let the coat fall behind me, Mina would do that. At least I imagine it would be something she'd do.

His smile changes from amused to something else. His blue eyes darken. He flexes his hands. I think this is an unconscious movement he's probably not even aware of but it does the trick. It makes me even more nervous.

"Spin for me" he says as he raises his finger in a circular motion.

I gulp down my fear and humiliation and do what he wants. It's only pretense. None of this is real. I'm not me, I'm Mina and Mina would have no trouble spinning for a man. I shiver. I can't help it. He smiles again and stands.

"I don't know who told you I liked this innocent act but you do it well" he says as he makes his way closer to me.

"What are you doing?" I ask when he reaches for me. "You aren't supposed to touch me tonight" I stutter.

"Is that what they told you?" he asks with humor. "I can sample if I want, can't I?" he asks as he moved even closer. His fingers touch my face gently. "I've got to give it to you" he says caressing my cheek. "Whoever does your makeup is a miracle worker."

"What?" I ask barely above a whisper. I can't concentrate and the fear is starting to overtake me. The room shrinks and the air won't reach my lungs.

"After what Diamond said he did to you, I thought you'd be black and blue but I can't tell at all" he says.

"You knew, what he was going to do?" the anger seeps through my pores. Images of Mina's broken face flash before my eyes. I can't believe it. How cruel can they be to treat Mina like that?

"We're on opposite sides of the fence, he doesn't like sharing," Darien says moving closer still. "Is that why you're so shaken?" he murmurs.

The anger stills me. I can't respond because I know the next thing that will fly out of my mouth will get me killed or worse.

"I'm not him. I would never force a woman to do anything she doesn't want to do" he says. We're a breath away now. If I didn't know better, I would believe him. I almost do. He's convincing enough. "I want a taste," he says as he tilts my face upwards.

"No, you don't," I whisper. It should have been a cry for help but the proximity terrifies me and I don't know how to respond.

"Just a taste," he whispers just as softly and brings his lips to mine. Our lips meet but I don't know what to do. Mina would know. She would have a technique, more than one but not me. I stand there uncertain and open for him to explore. He does. He's not shy about it. I pull back and he kisses me again. I try not to respond but the whimper that leaves my body can't be contained. He smiles when he pulls away. "You surprised me, Mina" he says moving closer. His hands begin to roam. Fear wakes me up from the trance. I know what he wants.

"No," I stutter and pull backwards.

"What?" he asks surprised.

"Not tonight," I say standing my ground.

"That's how he hurt you," Darien says. "I thought he'd mess up your face, I didn't expect him to go that low. I won't hurt you. I will give you the time to recover before I call on you again" he says as he walks toward Mina's forgotten coat. He picks it up and drapes it over my shoulders. I run my arms into it and he buttons up the buttons. The gesture is almost loving and I almost believe it but I know better. I nod and make my way out the door. The driver takes me home.

I promised myself that he wouldn't touch me but it took less than that to change me.

When I enter the apartment the girls look up startled.

"What are you doing here so early?" Raye asks in her accusing tone.

"What did you do wrong?" Lita asks following Raye's lead.

"Are you okay?" Mina, my sister asks. She's the only who cares.

"I'm okay," I whisper. I'm lying to myself more than to them. "I just have to get out of these clothes" I stutter as I make my way to my room. The shower I take lasts longer than any I've ever taken but it still doesn't wash away the feeling. No matter how hard I rub the soap onto my skin I can't get rid of the feeling that he's still there breathing on me, touching me.

"Serena," Mina says on the other side of the door. She's worried. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Mina," I say just loud enough that she'll hear me over the water. I collapse under the weight of the water. For the first time in a long time, I cry.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hey guys. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I switched tenses there for a bit, sometimes that just happens. I usually write these stories late at night so my brain's a bit off. I don't catch all the mistakes I might make. Stick with me though.

Enjoy!

You would think two weeks would pass by slowly, that watching Mina spend Darien Shields' money on frivolous little outfits and strut around in them would make time move like molasses. Well, you'd be wrong. I watched her strut in her sleazy getups and spend money on lingerie and I went over every detail of what happened that night but I wasn't ready for it to actually happen. I wasn't ready for the day to come –the day when the limousine came and took her away. Mina and Raye had spent the entire day preparing for the evening, trying on outfits and rehearsing her new, as Raye liked to call it "innocent routine." I watched them.

Why would I care that my sister was going off to spend the night with a man who'd kissed me the first time I'd met him. Why would that bother me? How could it possibly? I hated him! He was the reason I had to spend so much of my energy trying to save kids from killing themselves just to be a part of his gang. How could it possibly make my stomach turn when she returned home the next morning glowing a certain glow? It didn't. I don't care, I never will. Darien Shields is the farthest thing from my mind. I was just in a bad mood. That happens all the time.

"Serena" Mina giggled as she stumbled through the creaky doorway. She was all smiles and hugs and smelled like a liquor store. "You have been holding out on me sister" she laughed when I caught her from falling flat on her face.

"Come on, Mina" I said as I dragged her body toward our old brown couch.

"I can walk just fine on my ownnnn" she slurred. "He was such a charmer and you were fantastic or was it me that was fantastic?" she laughed as I dropped her onto the couch. Her blond head fell back and she laughed looking up at the ceiling. "You really did a number on him, girl. I don't even know what I'm supposed to do to…what was I saying?"

"Mina, what happened to you?" I asked as I pulled hair out of her face. "Are you okay?" I'd never seen my big sister that way. She'd always been the one in control, the one who let the male counterpart get hammered while she remained sturdy in all of her actions. This wasn't my Mina; this was a new girl I'd never met.

She looked into my eyes, hers were bloodshot and teary. "I can't be you" she laughed and then the laughing turned into crying. "We aren't the same, Serena. We look the same but you're so and I'm so not and he just wants something I…I wish Raye were here. She would understand. You don't and never will. This is so humiliating and terrible and ohh you've ruined everything Serena."

I didn't know what to say. I said nothing. She closed her eyes and after ten minutes of silence I stood up to get ready for work. What else could I do?

"Where are you going?" she asked, looking more like a child than I'd ever seen her. She looked vulnerable. Mina was anything but.

"I have to go to work" I whispered. Somehow if I was sensitive enough to whatever she needed I hoped I could avoid a confrontation. Maybe she would just fall asleep.

"You don't get it" she mumbled and closed her eyes.

I didn't get it. She was right. As I got dressed for my shift at the hospital I couldn't help but go over the mess of a conversation I'd just had with my drunken sister. She wasn't like this.

The hospital was a brisk half hour walk from our apartment, which meant that I'd have more time with my thoughts, as if that would help sort them out. What exactly had I done wrong? How could I of all people have affected a man like Darien Shields? I was nothing special, nothing at all like Mina or Raye, not in the charming of men. How could I have ruined everything, or anything for that matter? I had been so nervous that I hadn't even made sense when I'd spoken not to mention all the times that I almost stumbled over my feet. Thinking was just going to make it worse. This was just going to give me a headache.

"Nurse," someone called out to me. The hospital was still a block away but my scrubs were a dead giveaway. I looked around and hear the sound again. "We need your help," the voice came from a young boy who was kneeling next to the open door of a shiny black SUV. As I neared the boy I noticed there was a body inside. A man's face came into view, he was covered in blood. There was so much blood.

"What's going on?" I asked staring at the boy.

He was shaking. "You have to help him" he begged. His brown eyes were terrified. By the looks of his scruffy hair and torn clothes, he couldn't have possibly owned such a vehicle so that meant the bleeding man was the owner.

This was only going to lead to trouble for me. I didn't think. I just reacted.

"Can you drive?" I asked the frightened boy. He nodded. "Okay, the hospital is only a block away. I need you to help me move him to the passenger side so you can drive. I have to stop the bleeding" I said.

He helped me, the man was unconscious and heavier than I'd imagined but the boy was stronger than he looked. There was so much blood. My hands shook as I took off my jacket and pressed it against the man's chest. Sitting in the front seat with a bleeding man in my lap was not a situation I'd ever been accustomed to or ever hoped I'd be but it didn't last long. We arrived at the hospital in only a few minutes. The doctors and nurses helped me with the man. They promised me that they we made it in time, that they could save him. It felt good to save someone's life. This was what I was meant to do with my life. I was meant to save lives. This was important.

Only after I made my way to his room later that day, when he'd been cleaned up and bandaged did I realize who he was. By that point he was conscious and he thought he knew who I was.

"Mina" he said from his horizontal position on the bed. "They tell me you've saved my life," he smirked.

I wanted to slap that smirk off his face. "Diamond" the word left my mouth like a curse. To anyone else he would look weak and fragile. The way he laid on the bed with tubes in his arms and machines beeping around him. His silver hair was bandaged up with only a few strands falling out of place. To anyone else he would look that way but not to me. I'd seen what he was capable of. "Not Mina," I said as I moved closer. "I'm not Mina at all and if I'd known who you were I would have let you die on the street."

Recognition flashed in his silver eyes. "No you're not Mina" he said staring at me. "But you could be her twin."

"I am her twin" I said through gritted teeth. "And I know what you did to her" I said.

"You do," the smirk was back "but here you are. Sweetheart I haven't had the pleasure of your company before. Twins, who could have guessed?" he laughed.

I don't know what exactly did it but something about the way he laughed at me, at Mina, something made me snap. I reached for the tubed that connected him to the morphine and squeezed. Before he had a chance to finish laughing I was already squeezing hard watching the pain reflect in his soulless eyes. It went against everything I stood for, I'd taken an oat but I couldn't help myself.

"You bastard, I know what you did to my sister" I said in a deathly whisper. I scared myself at that point, so the look of fear in his eyes was understandable. "I should make you suffer for that" I said squeezing harder on the plastic tubes.

"No, no" he gasped in pain. "You need my help," he said as his face turned a blotchy red. "I can help Mina" he said.

"You're lying."

"I know something you don't" he said stuttering.

"You don't know what I know" I said. There was no way I would let off the pressure. He was lying. He had to be.

"Shields is going to kill her," he said between gasps of pain. His eyes were rolling back in his head. If I didn't let go of the morphine he would pass out. I let go and watched his color return.

"Tell me and if you're lying I will kill you myself. I have no problem ridding the world of scum like you." I couldn't believe the words that were coming out of my mouth. Did I really imagine myself capable of murder? He'd hurt Mina, he'd really hurt her. Yeah, I was capable of it and he was vulnerable.

"You're a spitfire, aren't you?" he said catching his breath. "The wrong sister went into prostitution" he laughed then chocked on his laughter.

"Tell me" I warned.

"I don't talk to the guy, we're on different sides of the playground" he said eyeing me.

I felt like I needed a shower. "Then you're not useful to me" I said as I reached for the morphine again.

"Yes I am" he interrupted. "I hear things, is what I meant" his eyes were focused on me, solely on me. The fear was back. Not even a crime boss wants to be in pain when he can avoid it. "Shields wasn't satisfied with Mina, he rejected her. The next time she comes around he's going to dispose of her. I heard that and couldn't believe it. She's real good but I never met you before. You must be something special" he said.

That's what Mina had meant in the morning. I closed my eyes and forced my breathing to come naturally. I had to save face in front of this guy. "I don't do that" I said.

"Too bad, I bet you'd be even better than Mina" he said eyeing me.

"Listen to me carefully," I said moving closer to his bed. "You're going to be in here for a while. Gunshots tend to take time to heal. If you threaten my sister or me, I will deal with you. The world wouldn't miss you. I doubt anyone will look into it if anything happens to you."

"Sweetheart," he said with a smirk on his face again. "You saved my life, I owe you for that. I wouldn't harm a hair on your head but don't get cocky and threaten me. I'll let this slide for now. Another occurrence like this and you're pretty face isn't going to be so pretty anymore" Diamond said slowly. Every word rang in the silent room like a bell.

And I thought I was scary, this guy was really terrifying. I nodded and made my way out of the room. Only one thing was left on my mind and it wasn't the crime boss lying in the hospital room. I had to save Mina's life.


	4. Chapter 4

Saving Mina wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. By the time I made it home after my shift and everything else that had gone down, I had a feasible plan worked up and ready to implement. The first part of the plan was to remove Mina from the equation. That wouldn't be very hard. I knew just what to do.

"Mina" I said as I walked into our cramped apartment.

"In here," she called from her bedroom. "You're later than usual."

"I had a rough day" I replied as I headed to the kitchen. The next step was crucial and it was probably the worst thing one sister could do to another. I grabbed a tall glass from a cupboard and filled it with the cheap red wine I bought from our local drug store, and then I added the secret ingredient: cough medicine. I knew Mina's tolerance for alcohol and wine alone wouldn't do it but the mixture would knock her out.

"What do you have there?" she asked as she walked out of her bedroom clad in a tight getup.

"What's with the outfit?" I asked eyeing her ensemble. She looked like she was ready for another encounter with Darien Shields. My heart started pounding really quickly. Would tonight be the night? Diamond's words rang in my head.

"I'm going to see Darien again," she said. "You don't drink" she said raising an eyebrow.

"This is for you," I said carefully. "This morning you scared me and I thought it would help you get over whatever was wrong. Why are you seeing him so soon?"

"I got a little tipsy" she said reaching for the glass. Her hands shook a little. "And I said some stupid stuff, don't worry about it. Thanks for the wine" she said tipping it back and gulping it down.

"You're welcome." I said. "So, two nights in a row, isn't that a little soon?"

"He couldn't get enough of me," she said.

"But you said," I was watching carefully to judge her responses the concoction shouldn't take long to have the desired effect.

"I was a little tipsy. I said some stupid stuff, don't worry about it," she said setting down the empty glass. She smiled a weak smile that I could see right through and walked back to her room.

By the time the knock sounded on our door, she was passed out on her bed. I pulled her beige coat over my jeans and tee shirt and headed out the door. Whatever it takes, I would do whatever it takes to keep my sister safe.

The ride to Darien Shields' was uneventful as it had been the last time. If the driver had been confused about the outfit he didn't say anything. I guess in his line of work the less he noticed the better. Walking through the door to Darien Shields' bedroom was even more unnerving than the last time and it left me shaking again. How could Mina do this on a regular basis?

"Mina," he said when I stepped into the room. He was sitting on one of the leather recliners with a glass of wine in his hand. He smiled a wicked smile. I tried not to let it affect me.

"Not Mina" I said unbuttoning Mina's coat. My jeans and tee shirt would let him know that this wasn't the girl he was supposed to see tonight.

"So, we're not going to play the guessing game tonight?" he said sipping the red liquid. "Hello, Serena."

My blank expression must have given me away. I was stunned. Not only did he know that I wasn't Mina but he knew my name. How could he know my name? "How do you know my name?" I stuttered. My hands were shaking again and my nerves were fried.

"Did you really think that I wouldn't notice a difference? You look very similar but the two of you are nothing alike. Mina couldn't keep something like that from me. She promised me everything in exchange that I leave you out of it. So the question is: why are you here?" he said raising an eyebrow.

"Diamond said that you'd kill Mina" the words left my mouth before I could edit them.

He was up in a flash. The hand that had held the wine glass was now around my throat and I was pinned to the door I'd come through only moments prior. "Why would you be talking to Diamond?" he said squeezing my throat.

"I wouldn't" I gasped for breath. He didn't loosen his grip so I knew I only had moments left. "He was shot a block away from my apartment and I saved his life. I didn't know who he was at the time." I whispered. He let go of my throat.

"Aren't you the good Samaritan? What makes you think Diamond is trustworthy? Haven't you seen what he did to Mina?" he said backing away from me. He picked up his drink again but his hand shook.

"I didn't recognize him when I was saving his life" I said. "Mina came home very frightened and drunk. She's never like that. How could I not believe him?" I asked moving cautiously closer to the frightening man.

"He lied to you" Darien said then a wicked smile played on his lips. "But let's just say that he didn't what would you have done if I were going to kill Mina? How would you have changed my mind?"

"I um would have" I stuttered. Suddenly my plan didn't seem to make sense. "I would have told you to stay away from her" I said.

He smiled deeper. "On what grounds, and why would I listen to you?" He moved closer and played with a lock of my hair. "What would you have offered me?" he whispered into my ear.

"I wouldn't have…nothing… I don't do that" I stuttered trying to back away from him but his arm wound its way around me trapping me in his embrace.

"So you would have threatened me and left?"

"Yes," I shuddered from our closeness.

"That's not a very good plan" he murmured into my ear.

"No, I guess not."

"Want to rethink it now that I've given you the chance?" he said as his hand went down my lower back.

"Hands off" I cried shoving him away.

"That's no way to treat a friend" he said advancing on me.

"We're not friends" I said. "And I remember you saying that you don't force women to your bed" I grasped at the only piece of information I could think of.

"You remember correctly" he moved in closer. "But you see the problem is that Mina promised me an enjoyable evening and since you're come in her stead, what am I left to think but" he let the words float in the air.

"You're not left to think anything. I'm going home and you're going to leave Mina alone."

"I don't think that's for you to decide. Actually, I don't think you should be giving orders. And since you're here instead of Mina I think you owe me something and my patience has run out." He said and then pulled me into his embrace.

The part of my brain that should have resulted by fighting him didn't register what was going on. That's the only explanation I can give you. Instead of struggling for release I let him kiss me. It wasn't like the previous kiss we'd shared. This was passionate and wild and this time his hands roamed everywhere. I shivered and moaned and to my utmost humiliation I enjoyed the encounter. I can only blame that on my inexperience. In my right mind I wouldn't have done half the things I did that night. By the time we were horizontal on the bed and both our shirts were gone I was finally getting my brain working again.

"Stop" I gasped on a particularly good sensation.

His head snapped up and our eyes met. "What?" he mumbled dreamily. His eyes were a clouded blue that made him appear even more handsome. The only thought that kept me sane was the fact that he'd done with many women, Mina included. That was enough to strengthen my resolve.

"I want you to stop." I said.

He pulled back and was off me in seconds. I craved the heat the moment it was gone.

"You shouldn't take advantage of innocent girls" I said getting up and searching for my missing shirt.

"You could have fooled me" he said swaying back to his recliner and wine. He ran a hand through his dark hair and gulped down the liquid.

"That will never happen again" I said more to myself than to him. He didn't respond. I found my shirt and pulled it over my head.

"Yes it will. It's inevitable" he said finally turning around to face me. There were fresh scratches on his shoulders. I shuddered recalling that I did that to him. How could I be that type of person? "There's nothing you can do to stop what's meant to happen" he said.

I didn't know what to say so I didn't say anything. I made my way to the door and walked out. On the way home I couldn't stop thinking about the encounter. My plan had gone to hell. I'd gone there to make him understand that he had no power over me but it turns out that he did. He had too much power. Coming home I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost didn't notice the boy who stood in front of my door.

"Nurse Serena?" he asked when I passed him completely.

"Yes" I said looking at him more carefully. He was the boy from this morning, which seemed like millions of years ago. He looked better, a little less frightened but still too young to be doing whatever it is Diamond had him doing. I wondered what he wanted.

"I have a message for you from Diamond" he said stuttering a little over the words.

"What is it?" I said as gently as I could. Just my luck, not only was I involved with one crime boss but now two.

"He says that he'd like to offer you a job" he said slowly. "He's leaving the hospital early and needs fulltime nurse to care for him" the boy said as if he were replaying the words verbatim.

"He wants me to take care of him?" I shivered at the thought of spending so much time with him.

"Yes" the boy looked frightened. His already large eyes became even larger. "You have to say yes, please say yes" he begged grabbing a hold of my wrist. "Please."

"Yes" I said slowly. In my head it made sense, sort of. Darien wouldn't have all of the power if I were involved with Diamond, not romantically involved but at least somehow. This would work. If I had both crime bosses within reach maybe there was a way I could put them against one another that would free Mina and myself from their grasps. Or this could lead to an even bigger mess than the one I was already living in.

"Yes?" the boy smiled and ran outside as fast as lightening.

What was I getting myself into?


	5. Chapter 5

"You drugged me!" Mina cried as she threw something against the locked door of my bedroom. Whatever it was broke into a million little pieces as it hit the door. We didn't own many expensive things and now we'd have one less.

"Told you she was no good," Raye chimed in adding to Mina's already angry state.

The sound of Mina's anger was the first thing I heard when waking up this morning. She'd screamed and cursed and threatened me which meant that I wasn't able to go to work. I wasn't able to leave my room in fear for my safety. Then Raye showed up twenty minutes into it and made everything even worse. At this rate, I wouldn't even get a chance to die for not showing up to my first day's work as Diamond's nurse. I'd die long before that and I'd die at the hands of my sister.

"Did I miss it?" Lita's voice asked hurriedly as she walked in through the front door. "Don't tell me I missed it," she said again. This time she was closer to the other side of my door.

"No, not yet" Raye said. "She still won't come out. Coward!" she called out to me.

"You are the worst sister ever" Mina shouted sending another thing flying at my door.

At this rate we wouldn't have any nice things left. What if she went for the family valuables? I had to do something before she ruined everything.

"Mina?" I called just loud enough that my voice would carry. The room became silent. Had they heard me?

"I'm going to kill you" Mina cried and then I heard a loud thump and my door shook violently.

"Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself," Raye said as they scurried around the other side of my door.

"I need to get to work" I said. Diamond wasn't the type of guy to accept tardiness. I'd been dressed for an hour but because of Mina's attitude this morning I couldn't leave the damn apartment. "Diamond's going to kill me if I don't go" I said. Hopefully if she knew how dire the situation is, she would chill out.

"Since when do you work for Diamond?" she cried in a voice that sounded like a banshee.

So, she wasn't going to chill out. "Since he needs a nurse" I said tentatively. "I'd tell you all about it if you promise not to kill me."

The room was quiet. I could hear hushed whispering but couldn't make any of it out. Then Mina said: "Okay, I promise."

I opened the door and three pairs of hands grabbed me and dragged me to the living room couch. They shoved me down and forced me to sit there.

"Explain before I change my mind" Mina said. She was right in front of me. Both of her arms were on my shoulders. We were eye level. Her eyes looked scary.

"You don't have to do this," I said but continued "I saved Diamond's live yesterday morning. He was shot and I got him to a hospital."

"After what he did to Mina" Lita cried interrupting me.

"I didn't recognize him with all the blood. I regretted it right after I knew who he was." I said trying to reach Mina. Her eyes didn't tell me what she was feeling even the slightest bit and as a twin that's a scary thing. We had always known what the other was thinking. Not anymore.

"How bad are his injuries?" Rei surprised me. She was behind me so I couldn't see her face.

"Guys, really? Do you have to do this? I'm not going anywhere right now. Let go of me" I said shaking three pairs of hands off. They let go and sat around the couch. Mina sad next to me and Lita and Raye sat on the equally sad looking love seat next to the couch.

"Talk" Mina said.

"He's going to be fine but he told me that Darien Sheilds was going to kill you because you weren't me" I said.

"That's why you went in my place" Mina said reaching for my hands. "Oh, Serena that's so dangerous." She cried and wrapped me in a tight hug. "What happened when you went as me?" she said once she'd released me. The other two remained eerily quiet.

"I didn't pretend to be you. I told him to stay away from you and he didn't really hear me. I don't know if I did any good by going but when I came home last night Diamond's errand boy offered me the job of caring for Diamond and I took it." The words came out in a rush and I wasn't sure what would happen next.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard" was Raye's response.

"Yeah, Serena seriously stupid" Lita added. "But brave" she winked.

"What are you going to do now?" Mina asked watching me closely. "Darien won't like it that you're working for Diamond and Diamond is very territorial when it comes to his women. I'd have to agree with Lita and Raye."

"I'm not Diamond's woman or Darien Shields' for that matter. I figured they could fight it out among themselves and leave us out of it" I said trying to make them see the way I saw the situation.

"Serena, I am Darien's woman and I used to be Diamond's. It doesn't work that way. They don't hurt each other, they hurt you" Mina said hugging me again. Lita gave me a sympathetic look and Raye scowled.

"You are as good as dead" Raye said slowly.

"Well I will be dead if I don't go to Diamond's place" I said. "Where is it exactly?" I asked the three girls around me. They looked at one another for a few moments before Raye opened her mouth. I thought she'd say something mean but she didn't.

"I'll take you" was all she said. She stood and I followed. Mina didn't move.

The walk to Diamond's place was surprisingly short. Who knew so much could happen in such a small area. We were only a few blocks west of my apartment and we'd made it into Diamond's territory. A few blocks east and everything belonged to Darien Shields.

"You don't have to worry about being late," Raye said "Diamond likes to wake up late."

"Thanks" I said looking at my watch. It read 8:30 in the morning. I usually liked to be at work around 7 so this was cutting it really late for me, maybe not for Diamond.

"How did you get out of working at the hospital?" Raye asked. She was being surprisingly civil. It gave me the creeps.

"I just told them I was taking a leave of absence for a while. People do that quite a lot these days. Loved ones die or they get caught up in gang activity. The head nurse said I'd have my job back whenever I was ready to come back" I said.

"I see" she said looking at her feet while she walked.

"Raye," I said quietly "why are you being nice to me?"

Her head shot up quicker than lighting. "What I can't be nice?"

"Sure," I said backing away a bit. "But you're not usually nice to me" I wished I could take the words back.

"You've always been a high and mighty goodie too shoes but now you're in a situation I've been in. It can be scary when you've got no one. I can be nice. I am the queen of nice. Quit asking" she shouted the last part with a scowling face too boot.

"Thanks" I said as we neared the building that belonged to Diamond. It wasn't as large as the Shields estate but it was massive compared to the other buildings on the block. I felt as I was in a scary movie that dated back to the 1800's. The windows were dark and the paint was peeling at certain points but at least it wasn't covered in graffiti like the rest of the neighborhood. "Is this it?"

"Yeah," she said eyeing it warily. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

"What do you want?" a butch man opened the massive oak door. He squinted for a moment and his eyes adjusted. "Raye?" he said eyeing her as if she were poisonous.

"Jed" she said eyeing the blonde right back. She didn't even blink as if his stare didn't affect her in the least.

"You've come back?" he asked. He sounded kind of hopeful.

"I never left" she said with a straight face. If she was feeling any emotions they weren't coming through on her face.

"Ahem" I said trying to get their attention. "I'm here to see Diamond. I'm his new nurse."

"Oh" Jed looked at me for a moment before stepping out of the way. "He's on the second floor, third door on the left." Then his attention focused back on Raye.

"Okay" I said moving in the direction he sent me.

"I'll be going then" Raye said as she made her way to the door.

"What?" Jed and I said at the same time but for different reasons, so much for her being there for me.

I turned around and went up the stairs. It wasn't difficult to find and when I opened Diamond's door I couldn't help but feel pity for the man lying on the bed. Well, I had wanted to feel pity and I almost did until I noticed what was actually going on. He was lying in bed with another woman. The guy had just been shot! I flicked on the lights and moaning erupted from the trio on the bed.

"So, I take it you're healing right along?" I said.  
>"My nurse, don't mind her" he said opening one eye. "You're not wearing a nurse's outfit" he slurred.<p>

I rolled my eyes. "You out now, he needs his rest.

"It's not what it looks like" a little blue haired girl said. "He was lonely and he needed company. Nothing happened" she was shorter than me and I'm already short. She looked far too young to be in a situation like this.

"What's your name?" I asked speaking to her softly despite my anger at the situation.

"Amy" she said. Her voice shook a little. "I got him water and fluffed his pillows and I took care of him" she said earnestly. She really wanted me to believe her.

"Okay I believe you" I said. "But he needs rest and so do you."

"I'll be in the room next door" she said making her way out.

I couldn't help but ask. "Amy, how old are you?"

She looked nervous. "Eighteen" she said and I knew she was lying.

"Now that you've ruined my fun" Diamond said once both his eyes were opened and Amy was gone. "How are you going to nurse me back to health, because as sweet as that girl was, she couldn't save a dying bird much less a man?"

"That's what you get when you put children in an adult situation" I said.

"Eighteen, don't you believe that she's eighteen?" I looked at him for a moment then restrained myself from slapping him, barely. He laughed then winced in pain. That made it better. "Okay," he said "what are you going to do with me nurse?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to address your bandages and make sure they feed you the proper food. I'm not going to waste my time doing everything for you. There are plenty of women who can do that for you. While I'm at it, I want to talk about my salary. Since this is a house call and you can afford it I want to make a substantial amount. I'm not your sex toy, or your servant. I'm here to make sure you become healthy. That's all. Are we clear?"

"I'll say it again," he said with a smile on his face. "The wrong sister went into prostitution. "Do you know how much you could make with that attitude alone?"

"Are we clear?" I said again.

"Yes, we're clear. Now, my stitches are itchy are they supposed to be doing that?" he asked sitting up on the bed. I made my over to him.

"That's what I'm here to take care of."


	6. Chapter 6

"Get in," a voice said from the other side of a tinted window of the black limousine that had pulled up beside me on the street.

After the day I'd had nursing Diamond back to health I didn't feel like doing anything for anyone, especially someone I didn't know. Black limousines in general tend to mean trouble. I stood on the empty sidewalk debating my options. With only a few blocks to go I could make a run for it. I knew the streets pretty well. Maybe I could hide in some dark alley until the driver lost interest. Then again, that's how blonde girls tend to get killed. The sun was quickly setting and the darkness would add an eerie vibe to the situation. Things couldn't get much worse now, could they?

I slid into the leather interior and met a dark pair of blue eyes.

"Darien Shields" I said with a mixture of relief and fear. How could he have learned about my deal with Diamond?

"What do you want?" I asked. He looked like a predator cloaked in darkness waiting for just the right to strike. Any minute now he'd jump out of the shadows and bite my head off.

"You've made a mistake" he said moving closer.

"Oh" I said. I was trying for an air of indifference, maybe even defiance. I don't know if I pulled it off.

"A big mistake" he said and lunged at me. His hand latched onto my throat and sent my body against the leather seat of the car. I heard the leather rub against my skin and felt it burn.

This was his move, he was the predator and I was the prey. "Do you know what happens to little girls who betray me?" he said. His face was way too close to mine. I could smell his cologne and in this instant there was no pleasure in the fact that he smelled of pine and ginger. He would kill me in this limousine and no one would know what happened.

"I didn't betray you" I said as I gasped for air. From my perspective, Mina was wrong. Darien was far more dangerous than Diamond could ever be.

"So, it must be my imagination then. I didn't just see you leave Diamond's house" he said tightening his grip.

"It wasn't your imagination." This couldn't be my life. Only a few weeks ago, I had everything the way I wanted it and now I was being picked up in strange limo's and threatened by even stranger men. "Enough" I cried when I started to see bright colors in the corner of my vision. Any minute now I would pass out and that would be it. "Let me go! I am not Mina! I don't belong to you!" I said as I shoved him and kicked him and clawed, basically everything I could have done to get away I did. It didn't do much. He was stronger and easily overpowered me but his grip loosened.

"You're not Mina" he said and finally let me go but didn't move from the close proximity. We were sitting side by side on the back seat of the limo. His blue eyes never left my face.

"I want to go home" I said in between gasps of air.

"I know" he said and finally looked down at the floor. He almost looked guilty, like he regretted the way he'd treated me but I know better than to believe that a man like that can feel remorse.

"So?" I said. "Are you going to take me home or am I walking?"

"I can't let you do that, Serena" he said meeting my eyes.

"But I'm not yours, I'm not Mina." I said. This was not good.

"You may not be mine but others think that you are and you may not be Mina but you look like her. It's too risky. If someone saw you and made the wrong assumption I would look weak. I cannot afford to look weak. You have to die."

His words were flat. The sound of his voice rang in my ears but I couldn't comprehend his words. How could he do that? How could he say something like that? I could hear the blood pumping in my ears and the fear really took over me.

He would kill me.

I would actually die in this limousine. This wasn't just a worry in the back of my head of what could be, this was actually happening. I couldn't catch my breath.

He didn't look like he was going to do anything any time soon but I couldn't sit there another minute. I would not be one of those girls who just waited to die. I grabbed the handle of the door on the opposite side and made a run for it. It didn't matter that the car was speeding down the street and that the fall would probably kill me. At least I'd have a chance with the asphalt. I didn't have a chance with Darien Shields. I made my choice and made my move.

He was too quick. He caught my shoulders and pulled me back. I fell against the leather seats.

"What are you doing?" he shouted as he shut the limo door.

"What do you care? You're just planning on killing me later." I cried as I swatted back the tears that were falling down my cheeks. I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. If he was going to kill me I would not be weak.

"I never said that" he said moving closer.

I moved back. "You just said that I had to die" I screamed. Any minute now I was going to start hyperventilating. "I'm not going down easy. I'll fight you till the last breath I have" I said. I meant every word.

He reached over me and locked the door behind me. "I'm not going to kill you, Serena" he said. "I just need the others to think that I did" he moved in closer.

"I don't believe you" I said but deep down in my guts I did believe him. I believed the sincerity of his eyes.

"I would never" he murmured and touched my cheek.

"Why?" I asked. The 180 degree turnaround on his personality was creeping me out even more that his threats had a moment ago.

"Because," he whispered and kissed my lips. I didn't kiss him back. I sat there stoic as a rock. The kiss lasted all of two seconds and when it was over and I thought I was finally going to be able to get some answers out of this terrifying and confusing man he did something even more unexpected.

"Okay, so tell me what's going on" I said as soon as he'd backed away.

"Later," he said and reached behind him. When he turned back around he shoved something that felt like a towel over my mouth and nose and darkness flooded my vision.

I woke up feeling groggy with a pounding in my head. The only thing I could distinguish was that it was night judging by the view from my window. The streetlights were on and the night sky was illuminated by the reflected lights from the building below so the stars were invisible. The only thought I could catch as it flew through my brain was that light pollution ruined a beautiful night. Then my brain cleared and I remembered that Darien Shields had tried to kill me. I sat up quickly, far too quickly and my head spun.

"I cannot believe you did that."

I heard shouting from the other side of a closed door.

"I had no choice." Someone else replied.

A man and a woman were arguing rather loudly and somehow they sounded familiar. I made my way closer to the door, even though the room spun. I caught myself from falling and twisted the knob. Opening it only a creak I could make out who the arguing couple were.

"If someone saw her they would think that she was Mina. I'd become a target. If I can't control my women, my enemies will think I'm weak." Darien Shields said from his position on the couch he had in his bedroom.

I'd been in that bedroom before. That was the room I had met him when I'd pretended to be Mina, both times. The woman he was arguing with was small and due to the lack of light I could barely make out her features. She was pacing around him and made her way towards the light.

"Amy" I whispered before I could get myself to stop. My hand caught my betraying lips but it was too late. Both heads turned towards me. I froze.

"Serena" Amy said as she moved in my direction.

Until this point I'd had no reason to be afraid of the petite girl. I thought that she looked too young to be Diamond's mistress but I clearly underestimated her. She was something else altogether. She was someone I should be afraid of.

"It's okay, Serena" she said still moving towards me. "No one's going to hurt you" she said.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked realizing that I had no option but to face the duo. I had nowhere to run. "He said that I have to die." I said, hoping I sounded scared enough that she'd show me mercy and forget the way I dismissed her earlier that day.

"Darien's not going to hurt you" she said stopping just short of reaching me. "You can come in, it's okay."

I nodded and made my way in. Darien Shields sat on the couch; his blue eyes watched my every move. "What happens now?" I asked as I sat down on the couch opposite him. Amy took the seat next to him. She was fairly comfortable around him. Surprisingly, she was nothing like the scared little girl I met earlier that day.

"We were trying to figure that out" she smiled.

"I'm not going to kill you" he said meeting my eyes. "But you can't go back."

"Why not?" I asked. My brain wasn't working as fast as it should have. Had I been in a less drugged state I would have known better than to provoke him.

"Because you're a stupid girl who has gotten herself and everyone she knows into a lot of trouble" he said glaring at me.

"Darien, don't" Amy said as she nudged his shoulder.

How did they know each other? How could she behave like that with a man like Darien Shields? I stared in bewilderment.

"I'm not Mina" I said slowly soaking in the situation. As long as Amy was in the room, I was fairly certain that I could speak my mind. I had to make my point. "I don't belong to you" I said, hoping that would reach him.

"It doesn't matter" he said sitting up quickly from his relaxed pose on the couch.

I braced myself for pain, but it didn't come. Opening my eyes I was met with a curious scene. Amy had her hands on arm. The two shared a look.

"She's not Mina" she said slowly.

"Amy, don't" he said.

"Darien, you have to let go of the past. I know you care about"

"Stop it" he interrupted her. He looked lethal.

"Fine," she said. She didn't even look the least bit afraid. "But she's not Mina and she doesn't belong to anyone, right now. I don't see why you have to lock her up." She said rolling her eyes.

"Really? Are you that stupid? She's her identical twin." He growled and started pacing the room.

I should have said something but I didn't know what to say.

"You can't just keep a person prisoner" Amy said as she smiled softly in my direction.

"You should tell that to the guys I have locked up who betrayed me. I bet they'd tell you different." He said still pacing. "As long as she's wearing the face of someone who belongs to me she can't be seen anywhere near Diamond."

"What if we made it clear?" I asked in a burst of courage or stupidity depending on who you asked.

"What?" they said in unison.

"What if we made it clear that I'm not Mina that I'm her twin sister, a nurse who doesn't belong to anyone?"

"Well maybe that could work. After all Darien it's not like you're going to keep her prisoner, she is the girl you're in…" Amy started to say but he interrupted her.

"Shut up, Amy." He stopped pacing and stared at her. I couldn't read the signals that passed between them but I was sure that I was missing something. "What about you?" he asked the blue-haired girl.

"What about me?" she smiled a triumphant smile.

I got the sense that she got what she wanted most of the time.

"She knows who you are" he said.

"It's none of my business" I piped in.

"See, there problem solved." Amy smiled deeper.

"If Diamond finds out, you're dead" he said with actual concern in his voice.

I didn't understand their relationship at all.

"Diamond won't find out" I added quickly. "I don't even talk to him. I'm just his nurse."

"Yeah, she's just his nurse." Amy smiled. "Nothing more, nothing at all." She said as if the two of them were sharing an inside joke.

I didn't get it but I was happy that the mood had lightened and maybe I would make it out of this room alive.

"Fine," he said slowly. "But we have to make sure that they're seen together so that no one will ask any questions."

"Of course" Amy said in a patronizing tone. She knew that she'd won and was enjoying the hell out of it. She met my eyes for a moment. "Can I take her home now?"

"Yes, go ahead" he said as he slumped into the couch.

I stood up as quickly as I could and made my way to the door. I didn't look back but the tail end of their conversation stunned me.

"Watch out for yourself" he said as they embraced. I could hear a smack, which probably meant that she kissed him. I turned to see her kissing him on the cheek. She smiled and I saw a genuine smile on his lips.

"Good night big brother" Amy said as she made her way toward me.

My jaw dropped to the floor. His sister?


	7. Chapter 7

The tears were going to get the best of me. I could feel them threatening to spill as I walked closer and closer to the apartment complex that I called home. Amy walked beside me in silence. She hadn't said anything since we'd left but I couldn't stop replaying what had happened. The situation was just so impossible, who'd have ever imagined that I would be the twin who got herself into so much trouble? I was the good twin, I was the one who was serious and responsible and cautious. I was the one who…almost died today. I shivered.

"I'm almost home, you don't have to stay with me," I said to the girl next to me.

"I don't mind," Amy smiled in return.

"Won't someone suspect something?" I asked itching to run to my apartment and hide away from the world.

"What's there to suspect, we're friends making our way home after a long day of work," she said. She walked beside me but I didn't feel as though she was anywhere near me.

I closed my eyes and hoped I could handle the next few minutes without falling apart. I really needed Mina, I needed someone to make me feel safe, to make sense of the situation and what I needed to do to fix it. We made it toward the doors on the first floor, only a few stair steps up was my door, I would be safe.

"Thanks, Amy" I said turning toward the blue-haired girl. "I'm going to go home now."

"I'm going up," she said meeting my eyes with determination I wouldn't have guessed she had.

"Okay," I nodded unable to deny her the request. She'd just saved my life, what else could I do?

We walked in through the door and up the stairs. I jingled my keys and unlocked all three locks on my creaky front door. I thought I could do it. Once I walked into my apartment I would feel safe and I would be able to handle the feelings that were jumbled up inside me. The moment I saw Mina I lost control. I ran for her embrace and hugged her as hard as I could manage.

"Serena?" she asked between gasps. "What are you doing? I can't breathe."

"Sorry," I let go but couldn't force myself to give her much space.

"Hello," Amy said in her little girl voice. She was back to the girl I'd met, the girl who was afraid of her shadow. No one would have ever guessed that she could hold her own against one of the powerful and frightening men in the region.

"Hey," Mina replied with a bright smile. "Who's your friend, Serena?" she asked gesturing for us to sit on the couch.

"This is Amy," I said vaguely as I made my way toward the couch. Mina and I sat together while Amy sat across from us. I didn't know what else to say. How much could I say? Would telling Mina that this was Darien Shields' sister be a good thing? Would it get her killed? I just wanted to spill my guts to Mina and find a solution to the problems in my life but I couldn't do that if Amy was going to stick around.

"We met at Diamond's," Amy supplied, keeping up her little act.

"Oh," Mina said. She knew full well what that implied.

Well, she knew what it would have implied under normal circumstance but not these, not what Amy was really doing there. I wasn't even sure what she was doing there. Why would she be in Diamond's circle? She seemed to be on good terms with her brother, she wasn't betraying him. Was she betraying Diamond? What was I supposed to do about that? Was I supposed to do anything? I was already on the most wanted list of both men; any action I took would only get me into more trouble. I mulled the thoughts and all the possible scenarios in my head while the two women went over the customary small talk. It was getting awkward. I didn't know what Amy wanted but she wouldn't leave. Why wouldn't she leave?

"So, I've had a long day," I said getting up from my position on the couch. "I'm sure you'll want to get home, it's getting late."

Her blue eyes, the same eyes as her brother, looked straight through me. The fear I'd felt in his presence returned and I wasn't sure what I'd done wrong. What did she want?

"Serena," she began. Her voice had a new undertone I wasn't used to. It was so easy to forget who she was, so easy to believe that she was a naïve little girl. "You can't tell Diamond what you saw today," she said cryptically.

"I wasn't planning on it," I replied quickly. I felt strange standing while they were both sitting but I needed her to get out so I could figure out what to do.

"What are you guys talking about?" Mina asked looking between the two of us. She was getting nervous and her eyes skirted back and forth.

"I'm just trying to keep your sister safe," Amy replied softly. The innocent act was back.

"I'm glad you think that and I really appreciate all that you've done for me but it is getting late and I need some rest," I said. I was trying to send her a signal but the girl just wasn't getting it.

"I don't mind if you tell her," Amy said, still seated comfortably and not looking to move any time soon.

"What do you want from me?" I snapped. This wasn't how I'd imagined the night ending.

"Tell me what?" Mina asked getting suspicious.

"About who I am," Amy answered quickly before I had a chance to.

"You're the mole," Mina gasped. "I knew it had to be something like that," she laughed aloud.

"What?" I asked. There was something going on and I didn't get it at all.

"He's shared a lot with you," Amy smiled at Mina. They understood each other but their words were flying over my head.

"Mina, what's going on?" I asked. This couldn't be happening. My sister was in on Darien Shields' secret plan while I was in the dark. Then why had he threatened me? "How do you know Darien Shields' sister?" I asked.

"His sister?" Mina said clearly surprised. "I didn't expect that. The man sure has some guts sending his own blood into the situation."

"When you have no one to trust but blood, what can you do?" Amy replied. "I trust this will not make it to the ears of others."

"No it will not," Mina said meeting her squarely.

"What's going on?" I asked glaring at the both of them.

"Serena, I led you to believe some things that aren't true," Mina said as she patted the space next to her.

"What things?" I asked as I sat down. My sister, the one person I could trust, had lied to me, was that what she would tell me now? Could she turn my world even more upside down than it already was?

"I'm not Darien's mistress" she said slowly. The silence that followed dragged on. "I'm his ally. We're planning to take down Diamond once and for all." She smiled softly and took my hand. The next words out of her mouth caught me off guard. "And one more thing, the night you pretended to be me. That wasn't the first time you've met Darien."

Her words echoed inside my head and I wanted to make them stop bouncing around but I couldn't. "That's not true," I said harshly. "I had never met him before. I think I would remember. He's not someone who goes unnoticed." I snapped angry at her insinuation.

"You really don't remember?" this came from Amy, across the room. She laughed. "Well, consider my feelings hurt too. Now I see why he acted that way around you. I thought for sure you'd realize who we were when you heard the whole story." She arched her brows towards Mina.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, the both of you" I said behind ground teeth. They shared look and I wanted to scream. What could I have forgotten? How could I forget something so pivotal? "Well is someone going to enlighten me?" I snapped.

"You knew him by a different name," Mina spoke softly. "A boy you met in a hospital room, a boy you fell in love with."

I closed my eyes and fought the memories that tormented me when I was at my weakest. My worst mistakes, my worst regrets resurfaced. "NO" I cried and buried my face in my hands. "Endymion?" I whispered between gasps. The day finally took its toll and I gave into the pressure that was building just behind my eyes. I gave into the feelings that were tearing me apart from the inside out. I cried out and let the sobs take over my body. The memories flooded back…

**AN: I guess you know what coming next— Flashback chapter. Okay first thing first, I want to thank everyone for their awesome reviews. You guys really help me out a lot. Next, I know I'm taking a while with the chapters. A lot's been going on in my life but I'm working on them I promise. This one is short but I'll make it up to you all. I love doing flashback's that's one of my favorite things for a story so I'm really excited about what's going to happen. I rated this story M and it's coming. As always R&R. Thanks for reading everyone **


	8. Chapter 8

"Come on Serena" Mina said as she dragged me down the deserted early morning street. The sky was dark but the sunlight wasn't far behind.

"Slow down Mina, I'm not awake yet" I said barely catching my breath.

"Well if you went to sleep when I told you to, this wouldn't be a problem" she chastised and yanked my hand making it feel like it would come of out the socket any minute.

"Ow, that hurts" I cried and pulled back. I'd dragged my heels the whole way here and now that I finally had my freedom I wasn't going another step. "I'm not going" I shouted, glaring as best I could.

"Really?" she said with a grimace. "Look around Serena, this is our life now. Mom and dad are dead and the savings are gone. We have to do something" she said staring me down the way she'd seen mom do a million times. "You only have two options little sister. You either come with me and get a job at the hospital or you get a job on the street" she said pointing towards two girls who were walking on the opposite side of the dirty street. They were dressed in tight skirts and higher than high heels. The raven haired girl turned her head at Mina's mention and stared us down. She couldn't have been much older than us. "We should go" Mina said panic written on her face.

"Yeah," I followed hiding my face from the duo.

* * *

><p>"Get out of the way," was the phrase of the day.<p>

Everywhere I went I was in the way. Whether I was in the waiting room, the break room, a patients room or just hiding in a supply closet (something I'd done for most of the day) I was in the way. The sight and smell of blood made me nauseous so that was out of the question. Mina was doing her teacher's pet duty, or in this case attending doctor's pet duty, to its fullest. They loved her and hated me. Apparently I didn't have a steady hand or a strong stomach and none of the patients trusted me enough to let me touch them. Even the old and dying people didn't want me near them. We're twins for goodness sake but she was the shining star and everyone loved her, wanted her. No one wanted me.

"He's losing too much blood" a nurse said as she rushed a body on a gurney. I stepped back just in time not to get squashed and but not soon enough to avoid the smell of the blood oozing out of the boy lying unconscious. My hand went to my mouth automatically. I couldn't hold it back. Any minute now, it was coming. I was going to puke my guts out for the sixth time.

"You're the volunteer, right?" the head nurse asked for the millionth time. I think she just enjoyed putting me in my place.

"No," I said barely able to control my eyes from rolling back. I was turning green, it was coming and she was standing in the line of fire. "I'm Mina's sister, we're the temps" I said trying my best not to vomit on the vile woman. Blood was everywhere. It was seeping right out of the boy's chest.

"Mina's sister? Oh right" she said as though she'd just remembered.

We're TWINS, I wanted to scream but the nausea was holding me back from opening my mouth so all I managed was a nod.

"I need you to keep the sister out of the way, can you manage that?" she asked with a patronizing tone.

"Yes" I mumbled noticing the small girl for the first time. She couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen years old. Being sixteen I felt like I held the authority for the first time that day. She looked at me with large blue eyes. Her short dark hair was pulled back into two ponytails at each side of her head. She was short for her age and trembling. I couldn't help but reach out to her.

"That's my brother" she whispered when the nurse rushed to the party that was trying to save the boy's life. "The bad man shot him" she said looking up at me like I was supposed to do something.

"The doctor's know what they're doing" I replied, not knowing what to say. I'd always been the little sister, the one who was comforted, not the one doing the comforting. Even when our parents died Mina didn't cry in front of me. I knew she cried when she was alone but she never let me see. Now, I had to help this little girl before she broke down, something that was going to happen any minute now if she was allowed to watch the doctors' work on her brother. "Come on, let's get you something to drink" I said leading her away.

"I can't leave him" she begged as she clung to my arm. "He needs me."

Loss and fear pierced her eyes. To those feelings I could at least relate. "You can't help him" I whispered to the fragile girl. "He doesn't even know you're here. Look at him, he's out like a light" I said. Not the smartest thing to say to someone who is falling apart at the seams.

"You don't know that" she cried. "You don't know anything, he needs me." She turned toward the crowd of people trying to save the boy's life and ran.

"Stop" I said grabbing her hand roughly. I was probably leaving bruises. "If you go there now, you'll be in the way and they won't save him. He'll die."

Her large eyes filled with tears. "He's all I have" she whispered brokenly.

"Great job, Serena" I said looking at her.

"My name's Amelia, not Serena" she said clearly confused.

"Nope, that's me" I said. At least she wasn't thinking about her brother, maybe that's what I had to do. "Okay, Amelia" I said slowly, dragging out my thoughts so I could organize them. "The doctors' know what they're doing and if we go there right now we'll slow them down but we're not useless are we?" I said setting the bait.

"No, we're not" she replied raising her little chin high.

"Your brother's lost a lot of blood and do you know what that means?" I asked.

"He's going to die" she said dropping her face.

"No" I cried pulling her into a hug. I tipped her chin towards me. "When he wakes up, he'll be really hungry. How about we get him something to eat?"

She smiled. "Okay, he eats a lot though" she said looking up at me.

"Most boys do" I smiled back and we headed to the cafeteria.

* * *

><p>"Hey, sis" he said smiling at the girl sitting in the chair next to his bed.<p>

I'd spent the entire day with Amelia. We'd played cards, tried every variety of frozen yogurt the hospital provided, and for once I wasn't in the way. No one glared at me or told me to "do something" I was finally a part of the hospital. I was one of the pieces that made the machine run as smoothly as it did. But sitting here and watching the family reunion didn't feel right. I felt like I was intruding. I had no business being here when Endymion finally woke up and smiled at his little sister. The moment was sweet but not my moment to share.

"I'm going to go" I said quietly. I secretly hoped they'd continue with their reunion and not even notice my departure.

"Don't go" Amelia said looking at me with those large blue eyes.

She looked so happy and helpless at the same time that I didn't have the heart to deny her but Mina had gone home hours ago and I was still here. Strange how the day changed because of one little girl. "I don't want to impose" I whispered, hoping not to break the moment.

"You're not" Endymion said from his position on the bed. He turned his head slowly and with some effort to look at me.

They had the same eyes but his did something different to me. Where her eyes made me feel that I needed to protect her, Endymion's eyes made me feel protected. They had the same shade of purity to them. I was stunned that I could feel and think this way having just met the man. Then again, I had spent the whole day listening to Amelia praise her big brother and all the things he'd done for her. He was her protector and her sole provider. He'd saved her from the worst things in this world. He was her equivalent of what Mina was to me. I felt as though I knew the core of who he was without actually knowing him and that was all before I had the chance to be introduced. Now, I felt like I didn't know enough, I needed to know more, everything.

"Okay" I whispered, noticing that they waited for my response. They both seemed like they were the most gentle souls and yet Endymion had been shot in a gang war. "Do you need anything?" I asked, after all I was supposed to be some sort of nurse's aide. That was what it said on my id card.

"You've done more than I could have asked for, taking care of my little sister" he said smiling a smile that made my heart stop.

* * *

><p>I spent the next two weeks glued to Endymion's bedside. It didn't matter that we'd only just met and that he was an older boy who was on the verge of manhood. He was charming and sweet and my first serious crush, he'd even beat Prince Charming out of the running. He was real.<p>

"Am I ever going to meet this mysterious boyfriend of yours" Mina said as I took extra time getting ready before the mirror.

"NO WAY" I gasped. "If he takes one look at you, he'll forget about me like all the rest of them" I said, adding a nudge to lessen the blow. It was true. She had a magnetic personality and it didn't matter that we looked exactly alike. Everyone preferred her.

"You can't be serious" she laughed. "You're not really going to keep me from seeing him, are you?"

I sighed. "Okay but only once I've decided he's desperately in love with me and won't change his mind" I said.

"Seems to me like that's already happened. You two can't seem to be apart" she said eyeing me suggestively.

"I'm not that kind of girl" I said rolling my eyes. "I really care about this guy, Mina. Promise me you won't ruin it for me, please."

"Who can say no to those puppy dog eyes?" she laughed. "Get on now before you're late for work."

"Aren't you coming?" I asked. "This is the third day this week you've missed the head nurse won't be happy." I said. She'd been missing days lately for no apparent reason.

"I've got things to do" she said. "I might not even need to work there anymore" she said quickly. "I just need you to stall for a little bit longer. Okay?"

"Who can say no to those eyes?" I repeated her earlier remark but without the humor.

* * *

><p>"Hi," I said as I slid into the chair beside Endymion's bed. He turned toward me and smiled my favorite smile, the one that told me that he'd been waiting for me all day long.<p>

"Hello, beautiful" he smiled.

"How was your day?" I asked, taking his hand in mine. I traced patterns on the back of his hand.

"Better now that you're here," he said smiling. "It would be better still if you'd come over here for a kiss, it's not like I can get out of bed yet," he said laughing.

"Liar," I rolled my eyes but obliged him by leaning over and kissing his lips tenderly. We'd spent the last two weeks this way. I couldn't imagine a more perfect pairing. "The head nurse said you'd be out of here in a few days," I chided. "You're just pretending so I'll pamper you."

"I'm hurt, I can't believe that you'd think I'd do such a thing," he said in mock horror. His hand went to his heart. "I'm a desperately wounded man and you are my saving grace. I don't know what I'd do without you," Endymion's blue eyes grew more intense with every word.

"That's not true," I whispered, blushing. I was unable to tear my eyes away from his. Somehow, he always had power over me. I couldn't deny him, not when he touched me, not when he looked at me with those incredible eyes.

"It's very true," he said pulling me closer. "If it weren't for you, Amy would be terrified and lonely. I'd be lonely too and bored to death so thank you."

"So, you're just using me to avoid boredom," I said raising an eyebrow, challenging him.

"No, no of course not," he stuttered over his words.

I couldn't help but smile at his obvious distress.

"Serena, I'm so. I mean," he looked into my eyes and smiled. "Whew, you're really going to make this difficult aren't you?" he smiled.

I wanted to take it back and return the smile but I had to know if he could withstand the pressure. I had to know if I could trust him to love me and only me. How else could I introduce him to my perfect sister who everyone loved? "Well you're the one who's digging his own grave…" I trailed off.

"I'm falling in love with you," he blurted out surprising me and maybe even himself.

I didn't know what to say. "…"I opened my mouth but the words didn't come out. Did I love him?

"That was subtle wasn't it? I don't expect you to say it back. I just want you to know how important you are to me and how grateful I am that I met you. I'm actually kind of glad I got shot" he laughed. "Kunzite thinks it's an act of war on Diamond's behalf but I think it's an act of fate."

"Kunzite," I said, remembering a man with long pale hair leave his room earlier. He looked frightening, the type of man that lived outside the law. "Are you friends with a man like that?" I asked not sure if I should but knowing that I needed to know.

"It's a long story," he sighed. "He was there for me when no one else could be. I guess you could say that we're closer then brothers but if you ever met Kunzite's brother you'd understand, but that's not important." He closed his eyes for a moment then looked deeply into mine. I couldn't look away. I knew that the next words would be crucial. "I'm going to leave my past behind me. I don't need that, neither does my little sister. You've helped me see the person I could be, the one I want to be."

"Endymion," the word left my lips no louder than a whisper and no sweeter than an awww. "I love you." I said slowly.

"Okay now you have to come over here and kiss me again," he laughed and I did too. We kissed not knowing it was for the last time.

* * *

><p>***The present***<p>

"You can't just show up here whenever you want," Darien said without turning around.

I stood awkwardly in the same room that we had met for the first time. I wasn't going to call it our first meeting because he's not same person. Endymion and Darien are two different people. Looking at him now, I could see the similarities. They had the same build, the same dark hair, tan complexion, the same eyes—no, not the same eyes. Endymion's eyes had always been kind but I'd seen Darien's look at me with anger and resentment, emotions Endymion wouldn't have been capable of.

"What do you want, Serena?" he asked as he took a seat on one of his couches.

"How do you know I'm not her?" I asked. I wore her coat, to throw off the driver and guards. I'd fooled them all but I couldn't seem to fool him.

"You may as well ask me how I know you're not the Wicked Witch of the West" he said laughing. "I just know."

"Right" I said slowly. He hadn't answered my question but I couldn't really figure out a way to start the conversation. There was so much that I had to say but I didn't know how.

"What are you doing here?" he asked again, impatience rang clearly in his voice. He couldn't be the same man. He just couldn't.

"I remember" I whispered. Looking into his eyes was impossible so I focused on the carpet. The design was quite lovely; it was a black rose with thorns twisting around it.

"You remember?" he asked incredulously. "What do you remember?" his voice hitched a bit.

"I remember Endymion and Amelia." My voice was no louder than a whisper. He couldn't be the same man. Torment rang through me when I saw recognition in his eyes.

"Why?" he asked. His right hand shook but he didn't seem to notice. "I mean why now? Why do you remember who I am now?" he asked meeting my eyes.

"Mina and Amy told me who you were" I said flatly. Something in his eyes changed. I couldn't figure out what it was but I knew that it frightened me.

"They told you." He said. I nodded. "So, what are you doing here?" he asked. His posture had become rigid and I didn't know what I'd done to deserve the cold shoulder.

I had simply told the truth. "I just wanted to be sure" I said quietly. "I didn't believe them."

"Didn't you?" he asked moving closer. "What's so hard to believe?"

"Endymion was a good man. He was kind and gentle and he'd never do the things you've done" I said somberly. It was true. Somehow, my Endymion had become Darien Shields. I didn't want to believe it but the facts couldn't be denied.

"Endymion's dead, he had to die. You were a crucial part of his demise, if you must know." He said in a monotone voice. I couldn't read his eyes.

"I don't believe you," I shouted. I couldn't contain it anymore.

The one man I'd actually loved in my entire life. The one perfect one had turned into a dangerous villain. I hated him. I hated Darien Shields. I hated him for ruining Endymion for me. I hated Mina and Amy for telling me and I hated that I believed them the moment I walked into this room and saw how blue his eyes were.

"I loved you," I cried shaking with rage. "How could this happen? How could you do this? I loved you and I waited for you. Even after all of these years you were the one I was waiting on. I saved myself for you, you idiot. You want to know what's worse. I didn't know who you were but you knew who I was and you treated me like I was nothing. You knew," tears slid down my cheeks as the anger emptied out of me. I didn't know how I ended up screaming in his face and pounding on his chest. We stood in the middle of the room facing one another, hating how much we'd loved then and how much we hated one another now, at least I did. He just stood there.

"Serena," he said after several tense minutes of silence. "You shouldn't be here, you shouldn't be" his words died before I knew what he'd have said.

I couldn't help it. He was so close and he was Endymion, maybe not the man he'd been when I was sixteen but he was the one, my one. I reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes. How could I have not seen it? His eyes, how could I have not known right away? "How did I not know?" I asked not sure if I wanted to know the answer.

"You believed in the man who I wanted to be around you," he said brokenly. "I'm not him anymore. I tried but I couldn't be. This world wouldn't let me be him."

"I'm not the girl I was either," I whispered. "Why didn't you tell me when you knew?"

"You were dressed like Mina. I thought you were her. I thought she was you for so long," he closed his eyes as if he were in pain. "The first time I saw her on Kunzite's arm I thought I would die from the pain but I learned to live with it. I learned to forget the way I felt about you. I learned to hate it, to see my love for you as a weakness. She pretended not to know me, I guess she didn't know me so she wasn't pretending" he said running a hand through his dark hair. "I didn't know, I didn't understand. I do now."

"When did you know?" I asked. I wanted to know. "How?"

"The night she came to me, she wasn't you. I thought I was losing my mind. How could you be two different people, she even tasted differently" he laughed. "You should have heard of what I accused her of but she set me straight. I realized what had happened. I'd spent so long trying to win her when I'd thought she was you. I never even noticed how different you two are. I hadn't bothered to look. Once I won her, it was too late. I'd already ruined everything given the way I'd acted toward you. I don't expect you to forgive me," he said staring me down.

"You don't?" I asked. He looked the way he had in the limo. The same fear that had taken over me then took me now. I saw hate in his eyes but it wasn't directed toward me. He hated himself, I understood that now. "What do you expect me to do?" the words tumbled out without my editing them.

"I expect," he touched my cheek gently. "I wish you could forget how we met, I wish I could be the man you wanted me to be. So much has happened and I can't be that man anymore," he said sadness etched into every word. "I wish I could, you don't know how terribly I wish I could."

My eyes closed. His touch overpowered me as it always did but at least I understood why. He was my Endymion, he was broken but he was still the first boy I'd kissed. We'd promised so much and felt so much in such a short amount of time. I couldn't understand how we'd ever given it up so easily.

"I thought you'd fight for me," I whispered. "I never gave up on you and I couldn't believe that you'd given up on me," I whispered. The truth was too bold to be spoken openly but my words had more effect than I'd imagined.

The hand that had been tracing my cheek wrapped around my neck and he pulled me into a kiss. I let him. I knew him. I knew that I didn't have to fight against the desired that stirred inside me whenever he was near.

**AN: Thanks for your patience. I hope it was worth it. Let me know what you all think. I'm working on the next one now. It's gonna be steamy. I've been looking forward to a love scene between D&S since I started the story but I want it to be real and she's not the type of girl to just give up her V card to a guy just because. So, I guess we're all going to find out how it's going to happen because as of yet I haven't figured it out yet. Lol. That's all for my little speech R&R folks. **


	9. Chapter 9

"Well, how did it go?" Mina asked as soon as I walked into our small apartment. She was sitting on the couch, her fingers gripping a drink so hard that her knuckles were bone white. Any minute now, the glass was going to shatter in her hands.

"It was alright," I said rushing in to change from my wet clothes. The sudden rain storm had caught me off guard and without an umbrella I was soaked through completely.

"Alright?" she cried and set her drink down quickly. The glass broke on the way down. A small crack of broken glass ran all the way through its side. I was surprised that it didn't cut the hand that held it so firmly. "How can you say that? You ran out of here, leaving me alone with double agent girl without an explanation, I might add. I don't even know if you were okay. You should have told me what you were going to do. I only figured it out when I noticed that my coat was gone. Thanks for getting it wet by the way," she said sarcastically.

"Thanks for not telling me who Darien Shields was!" I snapped. "Thanks for sending me to him dressed as a tramp! Thanks for lying to me. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, Mina thanks for ruining my life!" I cried and shut my bedroom door closed behind me. How could she talk that way after all that had happened? How could she be angry with me when she was the one who'd lied and ruined any chance I had at a happy ending? My numb fingers were just about to slip off the wet clothes when she swung the door open from her side and glared at me in stony silence. I waited for her to speak, to rebuke my comments but she didn't. She simply stared with her cold blue eyes.

"Can I have a minute to get dressed?" I snapped.

"I want my coat," she said through gritted teeth.

I handed it to her.

She swung the door closed a moment later and I was left alone with my angry thoughts.

After a few moments, I heard the front door close loudly. I sighed.

"I didn't mean it," I said solemnly to our front door as I made my way to the bathroom in the hall.

The hot water ran down my body, soothing every aching muscle. My thoughts went over every moment I'd spent with Darien Shields, every moment I'd spent with the mob boss and every moment I'd spent with the boy in the hospital. How could they be the same? How could the first boy I'd ever kissed be one and the same with the man who terrified me? How could I have not seen the blue of his eyes, the sound of his voice, and the familiarity of his touch? How could I have not known? My fingers were pruney and my body was saturated with water but I didn't want to leave the warm confines of the shower. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the solace and peace.

The knock on the front door was loud enough to raise a curse from my lips. I sighed and turned the faucet off. Mina must have forgotten her key, again. Wrapping my towel around my body, I didn't even take the time to look in the mirror.

"I'm sorry, okay?" I said as I rushed to open the front door.

The wooden floor felt even cooler after the hot water. I hopped slightly to avoid standing on either foot for too long. Wrapped in a barely large enough towel and dripping on the wood floor, I opened the door briskly. My mouth fell open when I realized that the person standing on the other side of the threshold wasn't my twin sister. The person standing in the hall was none other than Darien Shields, the man I'd just spent an hour arguing with and kissing.

"Don't be sorry," he said rushing in. He didn't wait for an invitation. "It's my fault," he went on as he paced the small living room. His body was soaked to the bone; apparently the rain had not died down but had gotten worse. "I should have told you who I was when I realized it myself. I should have…" he stopped and finally looked at me.

I stood with my mouth gaped open, still holding the front door open. I still somehow expected my sister to be standing there with an angry expression on her face, admitting that she'd forgotten her key.

I didn't believe that he was real, that he could be here in my apartment, least of all, I couldn't imagine Darien Shields apologizing to anyone, especially not to me.

"Why are you wearing a towel?" he asked as he finally saw my appearance. His features took on a look that resembled mine. His dark blue eyes took a leisurely tour of my body. I blushed scarlet from my cheeks to my toes.

"I was taking a shower," I whispered and shut the door, not sure if that was the best thing to do in such a situation. Endymion might still be a part of him but he was clearly Darien Shields as well. He was dangerous and I was alone with him, barely dressed. "I'm going to put on some clothes," I stuttered and started to make my way to my bedroom.

"I should have known," he said. His blue eyes darkened as he continued to look at me.

"What?" I asked midstep.

"When I saw Mina with Kunzite," he said meeting my eyes. "I should have known that there was no way. I should have known that she wasn't you. Your eyes, your voice, your body…" he trailed off glancing at my exposed skin. "I should have realized then and there. Forgive me," he said meeting my eyes again.

His were almost black. It was as seductive as anything I had ever felt. He pulled me toward him with mere words.

"You didn't know that I had a twin," I said grasping for some semblance of sense. We were inches apart. I could smell the rain coming off his clothes and skin. His dark hair fell into those alluring eyes, making me wish I could touch them. I shivered at the very thought. We hadn't even touched and already he was affecting me physically.

"Still," he sighed and ran a hand through that thick head of hair. "I should have known. I should have known the night you came to me. You're so different, so pure, so much more than she could ever be."

He was saying everything I'd wanted a man to say, everything I'd ever wanted Endymion to say. He was Endymion and he was choosing me over my twin, the girl that everyone always chose. I shivered again and tried to hold back the sob that wanted to escape my lips.

"Why didn't you come find me?" I asked my voice catching, my nakedness forgotten.

"I couldn't betray Kunzite, he was family and I couldn't imagine a world where you would choose me over him. I should have known better," he laughed bitterly. "Would you have chosen me?"

"I have never looked at anyone the way I looked at you," I whispered. Somehow, the words felt precious as I spoke them.

"I've never loved anyone the way I loved you," Darien said as he caught the top of my towel. "I will never love anyone the way I love you," he said pulling me toward him. The towel fell at my feet but I didn't notice. "Let me love you," he said hoarsely and then kissed my lips.

The kiss was passionate, more than passionate. Our exchanges had always been things we couldn't control. This was nothing less but so much more. I shivered and cried out as his hot mouth captured mine. My mind whirled with images and sensations and feelings. Memories rushed into my thoughtless brain. They begged me to remember the man I was kissing, the things he'd done.

"Stop," I cried but pulled him close.

"Why?" he asked looking intently into my eyes.

We stood pressed against one another, my skin against his wet clothes. The sensation was proving too provocative but I had to get my words out. I just couldn't remember what the words were.

"Why should I stop?" he asked again. He wanted me to know that this was what I wanted, that I had a choice. The truth was that we both knew that I never did.

"Because you're Darien Shields," I whispered, my voice came out throaty.

"No," he said with the same tone. "I'm Endymion. Darien Shields is a persona I created when I thought I'd lost you. He's someone Kunzite wanted me to be so that I'd fight his wars against Diamond. I've always been Endymion." He said kissing me softly. "I've always loved you."

I searched his eyes desperately. He was earnest. I nodded and blushed remembering how naked I was. "I should get dressed," I whispered.

"Is that what you really want?" he asked softly and touched my cheek with a strong hand. His fingers burned my skin hotter than the shower I'd just taken.

"No," I said and pulled him into a kiss. My thoughts and insecurities vanished when his hands found my unclothed skin.

We kissed slowly this time, softly, taking our time, making it last. I'd only imagined the way this would feel. I'd never come close to feeling it for myself. The reality was much more than my feeble thoughts had created. The reality left me breathless. Any insecurity I'd had about my body, about being compared to other women left me when his touch burned my skin. I shivered and cried out without reserve. His hot mouth kissed down all the way from my lips to my neck to shoulder and down to curves of my breasts.

"More," I cried out multiple times, unaware what it is I really wanted. I knew I wanted him. I just didn't know what I wanted him to do.

He did.

Every gasp was an encouragement I didn't realize I'd given. We found our way into my bedroom, my bed. The pillows and comforter gave under our heated bodies. His wet clothes came off quickly. They piled on the floor beside my bed. He was beautiful and mine. He was mine. He'd always been mine and I was his.

"Mine," I said hoarsely as I touched his damp skin.

He laughed quietly and nuzzled my neck. "Already possessive?" he asked with a sweet smile. That was my smile, the smile Endymion had always given me when I'd arrived at his bedside.

"Get used to it," I said kissing his sweet mouth.

"I plan to," he said kissing me deeply.

His hands roamed my body just as mine roamed his. We heated one another and excited one another. We touched and searched and took our time learning the curves and concaves of each other's bodies. His touch left me breathless. His warm hands slid down my body, smoothly, softly, expertly. His fingers found the inner folds of my heated body. I gasped as his fingers entered me. He kissed my lips quickly and delved deeper, bringing another cry from my lips. My skin became moist and my lungs filled with air and my vision blurred as pleasure overtook my body.

"Please," I cried when I felt the pleasure reach a peak I didn't understand but desperately yearned for.

"I've waited for so long, given so much to have you," he said. His voice choked on his words, his eyes were black with need but he maintained control. "I will never lose you again," he said and slipped into my body painlessly.

We shuddered in pleasure together. We gave into one another, into what we'd created. We became one. The pleasure was surpassing, where I'd expected discomfort I'd only found pleasure, never ending pleasure. I shivered and cried out. He gasped my name repeatedly. My name was the only sound that left his lips. I was his and he was mine. We belonged to each other.


	10. Chapter 10

"Well, this is an interesting sight," Mina said waking me from my dream.

"What?" I mumbled and stretched my arms over my head. My fist hit something solid and warm. I opened my eyes and blushed scarlet. "There's a man in my bed," I cried and jumped up only to realize that I was naked. I shrieked in confusion and embarrassment and pulled the cover over my body, not realizing that I'd be exposing the sleeping man in my bed. Blushing even more, I looked at my sister to avoid looking at the naked man.

"Mina," I said softly, desperate not to wake him.

"Hypocritical much?" she said raising an eyebrow and turning around to leave me with the man in my bed.

"Mina," I whispered then stopped when the man groaned and opened his eyes.

"Serena," he said raising his head from the pillow so that I could finally see his face.

"Endymion," I said remembering the events of the night before. His tousled hair made him look disarming and adorable. "I…my sister was in here a moment ago. Um…good morning." I finished unsure what to do. I'd never been I this situation before. I wasn't even sure how I felt about what had happened. We'd promised so much to one another that I don't even know what was real and what was said because of passion. Did he really mean the words he'd said to me? He was a man who was used to getting what he wanted and now he had, would he still want me?

"Good morning," he said reaching up to pull me towards the bed for a chaste kiss. "You look beautiful," he said, "and startled. Is everything okay?" His eyes were so blue I could almost drown in them.

"Uhuh, everything's fine. I was just a bit surprised. I don't do this sort of thing…ever." I stuttered. Couldn't my big mouth ever shut up?

"I'm glad," he smiled. "I really wanted to tell you that—"

"Are you going to stay in there all morning?" Mina's high voice shouted through my closed bedroom door.

"I guess we should go out there," he laughed getting up and pulling on his clothes.

I was about to do the same but I realized that I hadn't had anything on the night before. "You go ahead, I'll be a moment" I said going to my closet. I hoped that he would hurry and leave so that I could dress without being watched. My boldness from the night before had vanished and even being alone with this man in my bedroom made me nervous. He'd seen me naked, for goodness' sake.

"Okay," he said going out with a kiss to my hair.

As soon as the door swung closed, I whirled toward my closet and searched desperately for the perfect outfit. I had to look beautiful but alluring, anything but the clothes I found in my closet. He'd seen so many women, been with so many, how could I ever compare? Frustrated by the lack of attractive clothing I tugged on my jeans and a cotton tee shirt. Why didn't I invest in some nice things like Mina? I'd been trying so hard to avoid advances from men that I had no idea what to do now that I wanted to be noticed. I brushed my blond hair back and pulled it into a braid. The mirrored glass of my dresser only showed me a simple girl, not a woman, not someone who could be alluring, sexy. I couldn't do any of that.

"Whatever," I muttered at my reflection and made my way toward the living room, barefoot.

"I think that's the best plan of action," I walked in hearing Mina speaking in low tones while Endymion nodded in agreement. His eyebrows were knit together in concentration.

"What's going on?" I asked suddenly uncertain. He'd made love to me the night before and now he was conspiring with my twin. Could they have lied about sleeping together? Could they have only told me that to spare my feelings? Was there something between them? Would he choose her over me? Most people preferred Mina, why should the man I love be any different?

"Serena," Mina said in an overly exaggerated voice. "Look at you," she smiled a large smile. "Here you are."

"You look beautiful," Endymion said in a strained voice.

"What's going on? Don't give me the runaround," I said frustrated, crossing my arms.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about," Endymion said. He stood, as if preparing to leave.

"Is that it?" I asked my heart breaking. He'd had his way with me, would that be all he wanted? "You're done with me just like that?" I said, my tears burning in the back of my eyes. I would not cry in front of this man. I would not!

"What are you talking about?" he asked surprise on his face.

"Serena, you've got this all wrong," Mina said, taking his side. "We were just talking," she said standing beside him.

"Of course you were," I cried and made my way for the door before they could lie to me some more.

"Serena," they both cried my name but I fled the building.

Running around the hospital had trained me to be faster than most people expected. I fled the building, barefoot and without a jacket. The rain from the night before had warmed the air but left the ground wet. I'd only run a few blocks but my jeans were already wet up to my knees. The worst thing was that I didn't have anywhere to run. Mina was my home. I would have to return eventually, and I would have to face her betrayal. I would have to watch them be together. I would have to watch him choose her. It would break my heart but I didn't have a choice. I had no one else in the world. Mina had given up so much, chosen a profession that I would never had chosen she deserved some happiness in her life. So what if her being happy would destroy me? I was her sister; I had to take her feelings into consideration.

Twenty minutes later, I had talked myself into letting them live happily ever after. They deserved some happiness. Twenty minutes after that, I had talked myself into fighting to be with the man I loved. Ten minutes after that, the rain started again and I was walking around in the pouring rain, barefoot and trembling from the cold drops. I would not return home, not like this, not when the two of them had betrayed me so completely.

Right after we'd made love, after he'd gotten what he wanted from me, they were conspiring together. How could he do that to me? After all that he'd said the night before. How could Mina do that? How could I have been so stupid? I screamed toward the gray heavens. I thought that I was alone in my misery that no one was there to witness my desperation.

"The sky can't help but rain," a voice said startling me from behind. I jumped two feet into the air, stubbing my toe.

"Who's there?" I said turning around.

"Look at that, you're still alive. It must be a miracle." Diamond said. He stood in a fitted formal, purple suit, not afraid of the rain thanks to his large umbrella.

"Diamond," I said, fear creeping into my voice. This wasn't good, this couldn't possibly be good.

"I thought something had happened to you sweetheart," he said in a voice that sent chills down my body. "You haven't come to my bedside in two days," he said with an edge to his voice.

"I see you're doing better," I whispered.

"I heal rather quickly, no thanks to you."

I swallowed and forced my brain to come up with an excuse. Amy popped into my brain. "I was there for you when you needed me but since you have so many mistresses around to care for you, I figured I was wasting my time. It's not like you needed anything only I could give you," I said.

"You're wrong about that sweetheart," he drawled slowly. Then moved closer so that his umbrella shielded me from the rain but that meant that he was only a few inches away. "There are so many things that I can only get from you." 

"I should be getting back," I said, my voice shaking. This was so very not good; it was going to lead to something very bad. I just knew it.

"Why? It seems like you're angry with someone, stay with me. I can help you figure out how to fix everything. You saved my life and I should return the favor, don't you think?" he said moving in closer.

I could smell his breath and feel it on my lips. If we were any closer we'd be kissing. I didn't like being that close to him. Even after everything that had happened, even after Mina and Endymion had betrayed me, I still felt like I belonged to him. I couldn't betray him. My mind whirled with the realization of the thought. How could I betray Endymion if he chose my sister over me? How could I be the one betraying anyone?

"Let me guess, trouble with Mina?" Diamond continued with his velvety voice. It bothered me that he knew me so well, he knew Mina so well. He was no better than Endymion. Both men would always choose her over me.

"I should go," I said inching away from Diamond.

"Stay," he said grabbing my arm. His fingers cut into my skin, cutting off my circulation and probably leaving bruises. "We haven't finished."

I looked into his angry eyes and saw the threat for what it was. He was angry with me for disobeying him, for leaving him when I said that I'd be there for him. He was a dangerous man to be around on a regular basis but in this state he was a ticking time bomb. I had to play my cards right.

"She's a difficult person to be related to," I said, using his anger toward Mina to appease him and make him forget his anger toward me.

"She'll betray you," his words rang truer than he knew.

His words hit me hard. "Yes, she already did," I said, the emotion from before resurfaced surprising me. Tears filled my eyes and I found myself shaking again but for different reasons this time. I wasn't shaking because of the cold or because of fear of Diamond; I was shaking because of the depression I felt from my sister's betrayal.

"Shh, tell me all about it," he said pulling me into his embrace.

I had never trusted Diamond. I'd hated him for hurting Mina. But now, I found myself crying on his shoulder, relying on him the way I'd never relied on any other man.

"I'll get your suit all wet," I said pulling back.

"It's just a suit," he said. "Tell me what's wrong; tell me what she did to you." His arms caressed my back sending soothing sensations down my body.

"She took Endymion from me," I said in the midst of my crying.

"Endymion?" Diamond asked, pulling my chin up with one hand. "So, she's left Shields already? He must be furious," Diamond said with pure glee on his face. "This is just what I was waiting for," he said more to himself than me. "Shields is emotionally compromised, after all he's done to be with her, he's lost her. It's the perfect time to strike."

"Diamond?" I asked, afraid that my words had gotten me into trouble again. What had I done? I'd confided in Diamond. He didn't know that Darien Shields was Endymion but he was going to strike and that couldn't be good. "I didn't mean that." I said stumbling over my words. "I just meant that."

"It doesn't matter, you're coming with me." He said pulling me towards the direction of his estate.

"Diamond, please I have to get back," I said trying to pull free of his arms.

"Sweetheart, I'm not a patient man," he said unbuttoning his jacket so that I could see the gun that was holstered underneath. "Just do what I say and I might forgive you for leaving me when I was at my weakest. There are consequences for disobeying me," he said darkly. "Just ask your sister."

My eyes widened. Now, I'd done it. Mina's bruised and battered face flashed before my mind. I wanted to run. I wanted to elbow him in the ribs and make a run for my safety. I'd always assumed that I would know what to do in a situation like this. I'd always thought that I would be brave but the opposite was true. Fear paralyzed me. I could not act. I willed myself to fight but instead I simply followed him. I let him lead me down the dark tunnel I'd somehow found myself crawling through. If there was ever a moment to be brave, this was it and I for the life of me couldn't find an ounce of bravery in me. I was a coward.

**AN: I didn't expect the story to take this turn. Sometimes, when I write, things just work out differently than I plan them to. But, I think I like the complexity here. Maybe our heroine isn't as good as I wanted her to be. Let me know what you guys think. **

**And as always, I look forward to every single comment, thank you for them and keep them coming. **


	11. Chapter 11

Amy's startled eyes told me everything I needed to know.

Diamond dragged me after him as we walked into the massive building he called home, one of them at least. I was nothing more than property in his eyes. All pretense that I was more, that I mattered vanished with the realization, false as it may have been, that Darien Shields was emotionally compromised. My arm hurt to the point that I couldn't even feel it anymore. He really wasn't a patient man and that fact had never been clearer than the way his fingers bruised my porcelain skin.

Amy's blue eyes told me two things: One that my coming back to Diamond was not part of the plan, whatever the plan was. I still had no right to know anything about it. I wasn't Mina after all. I was and would always be second fiddle to Mina. The second thing was that she really was frightened. I could tell that her mind was combing through the scene to get to the facts. She wasn't prepared for my returning. She was caught off guard and I was not going to be much, if any, help.

"Jed," Diamond called out, his voice a mix of excitement and anger. I guess that was to be expected in everything Diamond did. He was always angry with someone, even when he thought he was winning.

"What is it?" Jed waltzed in with a bit more arrogance than I'd seen in his stride the last time I'd seen him. A flustered Raye tiptoed through the dark hallway, trying to get out of the house before she was noticed. She would have made it just in time if she hadn't stopped to gawk at me.

Was she in on the plan too? Was there anyone left out of the plan but me and Diamond?

"Well, look at that," Diamond whistled loudly which only made Raye flush even redder.

I wouldn't have thought that someone in her job category would blush at being caught but then again I'd only ever seen the before and after of such occurrences. I'd never witnessed the goings on of such an affair. She looked much too young, like most of the girls in the building. She looked too innocent, even though I knew she wasn't, too innocent to be in a situation like this.

"Keep whistling like that, I've always wanted a pair of boots made out of human leather," she said after a moment.

The innocence was gone and girl with an attitude was back. She wore that mask really well. I'd even believed that nothing bothered her, until this point. I realized how little I actually knew Raye, how little I actually knew any of them. They played their roles so well, perfected their disguises. I hadn't known Mina at all, hadn't known what she was capable of.

"Tsk tsk," he said circling her like an eagle. "If you weren't my right hand man's main obsession I wouldn't put up with your tongue," he moved in to touch her and Jed broke in between them. He didn't say anything but the statement was clear, even to an unobservant observer such as me. Without even using words, Jed made it clear that Diamond wasn't to have anything to do with Raye.

It would have been a really nice gesture if they weren't acting like two dogs fighting over a piece of meat but then again that might have just been my biased way of seeing things. I just didn't like the way these kinds of men treated women. They owned women and fought over them and loaned them with no regard to the feelings of the one's they traded like game cards.

"Scatter off," Diamond said to Raye and focused his attention back to his right hand man. "Shields is vulnerable," he said with a wicked grin on his face. It split his face so severely that I thought half his head would fall clean off. To my disappointment, that didn't happen.

To her credit, Amy didn't even blink. After the initial shock of seeing me back, which she could easily justify, she had reattached her mask on perfectly. If I didn't know any better I would think she was just a dumb call girl who was more interested in her fingernails than the conversation going on around her.

"How can you be sure?" Jed said, lowering his voice. He wasn't fooled by the absent looks on the faces of the women in the room. He was always the rational one, the one who wouldn't get carried away by petty vengeance.

"Serena," Diamond said pulling on my numb arm. "Tell the man what you told me."

My mouth opened but no words came out. I was afraid, I was more than afraid. I didn't know what to do. Amy would report everything she heard back to Darien Shields and he'd kill me for it. I'd given up thinking of him as the boy I'd loved. That boy wouldn't have done what Shields did to me. If I betrayed him, there would be penance and not even Mina could save me from that, but Diamond wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted either. I really was between a rock and a hard place, not a situation I'd recommend to anyone.

"Oh look at that," Raye said with a quick laugh.

I glared at her.

"She's tongue tied," she cooed as though I were an infant.

If looks could kill, I hoped mine would but alas looks couldn't and Raye kept on talking.

"What did you do Diamond, terrify the poor thing into submission?" Raye laughed.

"No, she told me that" he shook me violently and then threw me onto a lumpy sofa nearby.

I landed with a thud and squawk. Raye sat next to me and patted my head like I was a child. I wanted to scream at her but I couldn't get my voice back.

"She told me that Mina left Shields for a guy named Endymion," he said to Jed in a softer voice. He'd gotten some of his sense back.

Amy's eyes widened for a moment, but only for a moment. If I weren't watching her I wouldn't have caught it.

Jed looked thoughtful but then squared his shoulders and nodded. "Then we should make our move now," he said to Diamond. Jed then turned toward Raye and spoke to her. I hadn't seen any man give this much consideration to a woman. Maybe they did have a deeper connection. "You're not allowed to leave the building. I know your loyalty's divided." So much for a deeper connection. "Don't let her leave the premises," he said to a newly arrived guard. He too looked too young to be in this line of work. I don't know what age I expected the people in gangs to be but they looked like children playing adults and it didn't sit right with me.

"And keep the blonde here too, while you're at it," Diamond added as the men left the room.

What did I have to do with it?

"We wouldn't want her warning her sister," Diamond called out as he made his way out.

I guess that's it. Diamond wins and everyone else loses.

As I was contemplating my disappointing lack of a backbone, I didn't notice the looks Raye and Amy were exchanging. I didn't notice the way they were planning out their next steps. I didn't notice any of it.

"Are you going to start crying again?" Raye said patting my head. Her voice was a little louder than it needed to be. "She's such a cry baby," she said toward the dark haired young man who was watching us. He wasn't the only one in the building but he was the only one in the room and he was the only one who knew of Diamond's orders. I, of course, didn't realize this at the time and was profoundly offended by her claim.

"I am not a cry baby," I shouted, snapping her hand away from my hair. "I can't believe that you'd say something like that." I cried. I wanted her to stop thinking of me that way. Here, I thought we'd actually become friends but she was back to being a class A bitch all over again.

"Look at that, she's about to cry," she said overly dramatic. The young man looked nervous. Most men didn't know how to handle the tears of women and he was no exception.

"What do I do about it?" he stuttered.

Raye rolled her eyes. "Get her a glass of water, don't you know anything?" she said with full authority in her voice. You'd think she was the lady of the house. You'd be wrong but she was entertaining and authoritative enough that you'd believe her. That's exactly what the young man did. He believed Raye's authority.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Amy stood up.

"I can't believe you said that about me," I cried to Raye but she dismissed me instantly.

"Shut up, okay. I didn't mean it, I just had to get the kid out of the room." She said quickly. "Amy's going to make a break for it. I need you to be extra annoying so he won't notice her absence. Can you do that, Serena?" Raye asked, her eyes told me that this was important, that she trusted me, they all were.

"I can," I started to say but Amy cut me off.

"I cannot believe that you'd betray Darien like that," she whispered vehemently.

"We don't have time for this Amelia," Raye shushed her.

"I know," she cried and made her way towards the back door.

"I didn't betray him," I whispered back. "He's the one who chose Mina over me right after we made love," I cried.

"What?" Raye and Amy both said in unison.

"You slept with Shields," Raye said as if it were impossible.

"Why's that so hard to believe?" I cried.

"Because you're Miss goodie too shoes who never does anything with anyone," she laughed, forgetting the distress of the situation for a moment.

"She would in this case," Amy replied soberly. "He wouldn't betray you," she said quietly. "I begged him to leave this place and start over somewhere else, somewhere we could avoid this lifestyle but he wouldn't leave even after he saw your twin with Kunzite, even after he thought you'd betrayed him." Her blue eyes accused me.

"I saw them whispering together," I said, refusing to let her punish me for something that wasn't my fault. They had betrayed me and not the other way around.

"That's what they do," she sighed. "They're working on bringing down Diamond once and for all. You're too insecure for your own good," she said. For someone so young, she sounded far too wise. "I have to go, trust in the love you have with my brother, he wouldn't ever let you down."

I didn't know what to say. She tiptoed her way out of the room and to the back entrance of the building. The young men returned shortly afterwards with a wry look on his face and a tall glass of water. He handed it to me and I didn't have to fake the tears that were falling from my eyes. I was really crying and Raye was comforting me. I'd betrayed the man I loved and now Diamond would hurt him. I only hoped that Amy was quick enough to warn him and who knows how much good that would do.


	12. Chapter 12

Waiting….

Waiting, knowing that something horrible might be happening, is the worst feeling in the world.

No, scratch that. Waiting and knowing something horrible might be happening because it's your fault—that's the worst feeling in the world.

And that's exactly what I was doing. I didn't have a choice. My nails were bitten till they were bleeding but somehow they kept finding my lips where I bit them some more. If it hadn't been for the young guard whose eyes followed my every move, I'd be pacing the room frantically, running my fingers through my hair, pulling out my hair, screaming, crying, something! How could they expect me to pretend that nothing was going on? How could they expect me to be normal and unaffected when I knew that Mina, Endymion and now Amy were all in trouble because of me?

I was freaking out on the inside and it would only be a matter of moments before I'd lose it on the outside. Raye, on the other hand, seemed fine. She was cool as a very refrigerated cucumber and I hated her for it. She sipped her tea; the young guard had brought it in when she accused him of having poor manners. He'd apologized profusely and bowed to her every command. It was a strange sight and I didn't understand what the point of this cat and mouse game was. I didn't understand a lot of things. I especially didn't understand how my mind could be so discombobulated. How could I have misunderstood such a simple thing? Had I misunderstood?

Amy's words rang in my mind. Endymion hadn't betrayed me and neither had my sister but my eyes kept showing me, reminding me of what I'd seen only hours before. They'd whispered to one another, close enough to kiss, quiet enough that I wouldn't catch on. How could he not choose her when faced with the choice? Everyone always chose Mina.

"What's tea without crumpets?" Raye said abruptly. She focused her attention on the young man and he looked as dumbfounded as I felt.

Really? Is that what she was worried about at a time like this? Crumpets?

"What's a crumpet?" he said, his voice raising at the word. His brown eyes widened, making him look much younger.

He probably hadn't had a good education. Perhaps, he'd been forced to join the gang before properly attending any schooling. I'd seen kids join as young as twelve. I'd seen them join gangs and fight for either side, die for either side. They died fighting a war that didn't mean anything to them. They died before getting the chance to live.

"You don't know what a crumpet is?" Raye scolded like a mother hen. Her eyes narrowed with distaste. "Go and find someone who can tell you and don't come back without my crumpets." She cried. The boy ran from the room as if the hounds of hell were after him. I wouldn't be surprised if they were.

"That was mean Raye," I said. "He's probably lived his whole life in this gang and you're treating him like that," I said glaring at her. My anger at her actions made me forget all of my previous fear.

"I had to do something," she rolled her eyes. "You were going to give us away. Stop freaking out or he'll figure out something's up. I have to keep him occupied so he won't notice that Amy's gone. He may not be the brightest bulb in the box but he'd catch on quick, especially the way you keep biting you damn nails. Any minute now, you're going to start chewing bone and that's a nasty sight I don't want to witness."

I closed my eyes and fought the urge to cry in desperation and then I took a deep breath and spoke. "I can't just not do anything, it's driving me crazy," I said.

"I know that. How do you think I feel?" she said.

"I don't know how you feel. You look completely at ease. You're worried about crumpets for goodness' sake." I said.

"Well, I've had some training." She said slowly. Her eyes became distant.

I couldn't pass up on the distraction and besides, I was curious. "How did you end up here anyway?" I asked. "Last I heard, you weren't with Diamond's gang anymore."

She looked at me for a long moment and I thought that she'd become angry and wouldn't answer my question. Just before I retracted my question, she finally spoke.

"I was never a part of Diamond's gang," she said softly. "I was lost for a long time. I belonged to no one. And believe me," she said on the verge of tears. Raye crying was a frightening thing. She was always so in control that this vulnerability terrified me. "You don't want to belong to no one. There are things that children shouldn't know, things that shouldn't happen but they do and we learn to live with them. We learn to put those memories away, far away."

I thought back to the moment I'd first met Raye. Mina and I hadn't even spoken to them before we judged them. We'd assumed that they did what they did because they wanted to. I hadn't understood the way I did now, that no one really has a choice when life throws a curveball. Everything depends on luck and Raye, apparently, wasn't lucky.

"How did you meet Jed?" I asked, hoping it would lead her to better memories and wipe the dreadful look in her eyes.

She smiled. Her features softened and she looked like an ordinary girl in love with a guy. A sparkle lit up her face and I couldn't help but blush, having caught her in such a tender moment.

"He tried to rob me," she said, catching me completely off guard. That was not what I'd expected at all.

"He what?" I cried.

"Shhh," she hushed me smiling. "It's not what you think."

"It better not be, because that would be a horrible beginning for a love story," I said in a softer voice.

The boy had yet to return. I was starting to wonder if he would ever find some crumpets and what he'd do if he didn't. Would he just stay away until Diamond came back? Raye could be pretty frightening when she wanted to be.

"Jed and I aren't your typical love story," she smiled, tucking a hair behind her ear. "I was 13 and he was 17, I think. He's never really told me how old he is. He doesn't talk about his past much," she said, cupping her hand in a gossipy gesture.

It felt good sharing a secret with Raye. Suddenly, I understood why she and Mina had always been such close friends. Raye just made people gravitate toward her.

"At 13," I said, hoping I misunderstood. "You were already a," I couldn't finish the sentence.

A hard look came upon her dark features. "Yes," the simple word silenced me.

When I was 13, I still played with my Barbie's and thought the world was perfect. I couldn't imagine what she'd gone through.

"I stole a particular piece of jewelry off of a particularly" she cleared her throat, "he was a special kind of bastard and he wouldn't miss it anyway, or so I thought," she smiled, remembering. "I didn't realize the damn thing had sentimental value, I'd never even heard of something being sentimental back then. I just thought shiny jewels equaled money, especially to a man like that. Since I wasn't much of a threat, he hired a kid off of the street to catch me and do whatever he wanted to me as long as he got the jewel," she said with hatred in her voice. Her amber eyes, darkened.

"Jed?" I asked, hoping there wasn't more horror to the story.

"Jed," she said with a smile that washed away the dark look. "He was different then, he hadn't been broken yet. He saw me and couldn't bring himself to hurt me. I guess I was a pathetic sight. I was all bones and skin and grime. Living on the streets does that to you and he understood. He promised not to hurt me as long as I gave him the thing."

"And you did," I said, thinking the story was over.

"Hell no," she laughed. "I spit in his face and kicked him in the shin and ran for my life." She rolled her eyes. "I was a spitfire even back then."

"I can imagine that," I said. The image of a smaller, scrawnier version of Raye with the same amber eyes came to mind. I could easily see her attacking her assailant in any way possible. She was a fighter and would do anything to survive, no matter how unlucky in life she was.

"It was a good thing I did," she laughed.

"Why?" I asked. I couldn't imagine that making Jed like her. I would think that he'd be angry with her.

"He probably would have forgotten me or taken the thing and left me to fend for myself on the street."

"So, what happened?" I asked, completely intrigued. She was a good storyteller.

"He found me. Of course, I'd already pawned the damn thing by then but he was determined."

"Did he hurt you?" I asked, uncertain. She spoke so highly of him but he was a gang member now, he couldn't have been very nice to get to such a high position.

"He threatened to kill me if I didn't tell him who I'd sold the jewel to," she said with a laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked. Threats, in my experience, weren't exactly funny.

Her nose crinkled. "He wasn't very good at it back then; he's still not good at it. I guess he figured out that I wasn't going to break so he told me something different. He said that if I told him where the thing was, he'd owe me one and that was a better trade than anything. I'd never had anyone owe me anything before. So, I told him and he took the jewel back to Diamond," she said softly. There was a mix of fondness and hardness in her voice.

"Diamond?" I asked. "How is that possible?"

"No," she shook her head. "Diamond Senior and he was even worse than his sons. He was ruthless," she said. "No wonder they ended up killing each other. That kind of man shouldn't be allowed to sire children."

"Oh," I said. My thoughts taking me to conclusions I didn't want to think about. Before I had the chance to ask who Diamond's brother was, she continued.

"Two days later, we crossed paths again," she said. The smile returned to her face.

"Let me guess, you became friends." I said hoping there'd be a happy ending in sight.

"No, I was furious because he'd made me give back the money so he could get back the jewel. I tried my best to kill him. I wasn't very good at it then," she said softly.

"What did he do?" I asked. Fear gripping my heart.

"He let me take my frustration out on him until I'd cried myself out and told me I was safe with him. I'd never had anyone tell me that before," she said as a lone tear fell down her smooth skin. "He was my safe place and of course, since he'd proved worthy, Diamond's father wanted him to join the gang."

"Did he?" I asked.

"Yeah, but he made sure no one ever made me do anything I didn't want to do ever again," she said, her voice held steel.

"But you're a," I stopped myself before I spoke.

"Prostitute? Is that what you were going to say?" she asked, one dark eye brow raised.

"Yes," I squeaked. I couldn't meet her eyes. Somehow, I felt like I'd stepped over the invisible line between us. I'd insulted her.

"Jed protected me and I protected my friends. Who else was going to make sure the other girls were treated fairly. I was always there to back them up, even when they didn't understand it themselves. If anyone looked at me the wrong way, I knew Jed would kill them and soon enough so did the other men. So, as long as I was around, they were halfway decent. I only wish I'd been there for Mina when Diamond lost it," she said, her voice breaking. "I didn't expect him to care that Mina had left his gang. He'd only wanted her because she was Kunzites, because Darien Shields wanted her. I hadn't expected for what happened to happen." Raye's downcast eyes told me how awful she felt.

"I still don't know who Kunzite really was," I said.

"He was Diamond's brother, Darien's mentor and Mina's true love. He was a cruel man to everyone I'd known before he met her, before she loved him. When he died, I thought the world would never recover. And it hasn't yet," she said. She opened her mouth like she was about to say more but the guard rushed in.

"Hey, wasn't there three of you?" he said, panic on his face. He stared around openmouthed and scattered as if he'd just realized Amy's absence among his search for crumpets. "Where's the little blue haired girl?" he asked with a voice that spoke of unrestrained anger. Suddenly, he didn't look young anymore. He looked angry enough to kill.

"Calm down," Raye began in a patronizing tone.

"Why should I listen to you?" he snarled, baring his teeth. "Jed said you can't be trusted," he said advancing toward her. This wasn't going to end well. I just knew it.


	13. Chapter 13

"Jed said you can't be trusted," the guard repeated.

He didn't look young now, he looked menacing. Fear pricked my heart and sweat started to collect on my brow. I looked to Raye for help but she avoided all eye contact with me. She was solely focused on the guard. Her amber eyes alight with rage. I wasn't sure who was more dangerous, Raye or the guard.

"Jed said that I can't be trusted," she parroted his words without inflection. Her voice was emotionless because her eyes burned with it.

This wasn't the time for anger, I wanted to say but I didn't dare. She had a plan, I hoped that she did. She sure didn't seem afraid of the guard; she seemed more upset with what Jed had said. I closed my eyes and counted to ten, then twenty, and then I just kept counting as the tension mounted. The two of them stared at one another and I kept my eyes closed like a frightened child. Finally, the guard snapped under the pressure of her gaze, and swore and stalked toward her. He grabbed her roughly by the arm, pulling her to her feet.

"Don't make me repeat myself. Where is the other girl?" he growled. He definitely didn't look young now. He looked dangerous. It was a frightening sight as he towered over her.

"What are you going to do about it?" Raye said with a maniacal laugh. I wasn't sure if she was losing her mind or if this was part of the plan. It sure didn't seem like she had a plan. She just seemed crazy and likely to kill us both.

The guard didn't like her reaction and shook her shoulders. His hand gripped her roughly but she didn't react to the pain I knew she had to be feeling. "Tell me," he shouted in her face. He raised his hand as if he were about to smack her across the face and I knew that Raye wasn't going to do anything. I realized that she was sacrificing herself to stall for more time. She was putting on a show so that Amy had more time to warn the others. I also knew that I'd never forgive myself if I let her do it.

"Stop," I cried, still frozen where I stood. He looked at me as if he had forgotten all about me. "Please don't hurt her," I begged hoarsely. My voice choked with emotion. Only moments prior, I had felt pity for the young man and now he threatened my friend's life. Whatever I might have felt toward Raye a few weeks ago, now I considered her a friend and I couldn't in good conscience let her get hurt, not like this, not while I had the chance to change it, to save her.

"Well?" he said releasing Raye. She stumbled back shocked by the turn of circumstances.

"She went home," I said, going for nonchalance, not sure if I managed it.

"Home?" he asked, obviously shocked by the development.

"Yeah," I squeaked. I hadn't really thought this through. If he caught me in the lie, he wouldn't worry about hurting me. No one claimed me here, no one protected me. My big mouth had landed me in danger once again.

"I don't see what the big deal is," Raye chimed in, coming to my rescue right as my time and courage were running out. "Jed didn't say anything about keeping her here, did he?" she said, superiority in her thick voice.

"Uh" the guard scratched his head, clearly confused. Only moments before, he was ready for a fight but now it seemed that there was no need. "Why didn't you just say that when I asked you," he said, regaining some of his composure.

"You were manhandling me, what do you expect me to do?" Raye said rolling her eyes. I wondered how much longer we would be able to keep up the charade, how much longer the guard would believe us.

"I don't believe you," he said turning back on Raye. She looked ready for a fight; she always looked ready for a fight. I wasn't as strong, couldn't ever be that strong. I closed my eyes and prayed for a miracle.

Nothing happened.

When I opened my eyes, the scene was still very much the same. Both the guard and Raye were still locked in a staring contest, both ready to go in for the kill. Raye's twitchy eyebrow was making me nervous. She was ready to sacrifice everything, her life included. I still didn't understand her alliances. She loved Jed but she was with Amy and Endymion, she wanted to take down Diamond. She was willing to risk everything but I couldn't do that. I couldn't risk all those lives over something as simple as a short tempered girl. I realized that I would have to be the one to make the final move. I didn't have a plan right then but I did the only thing I could think of. He wasn't watching me, he was completely focused on Raye. She was the only threat in the room. I was a simple bystander who hadn't done anything worthwhile. I had always been the one to follow Mina's lead, I'd let her make the hard choices because I couldn't muster up the courage. This time, Mina's life wasn't the only one at stake, there were too many lives and I had to do something, anything to save them all or else this war would destroy us all.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, caught Raye's attention. She raised an eyebrow but remained silent. My hands shook with my next thought but I steadied them. I took hold of the lamp on the end table behind me and brought it crashing down on the guard's head. It didn't make the sound I thought it would. In the movies, it always sounds so horrible and the other henchmen always come running. In real life, the guard fell down, his body landing on the couch with barely a woosh. Blood oozed from the back of his skull. I'd never been the one to inflict the injuries; I had always been the one to cure them. Inflicting injuries didn't feel right but I had no other choice, at least that's what I told myself. As soon as he was down, Raye caught my hand and pulled me toward an unknown direction. I didn't even have time to fully recollect what I'd done, to fully comprehend the consequences. I hadn't killed him; hopefully I'd only given him a mild concussion.

"Good job," Raye whispered as we made our way to a side exit I didn't know existed. "I didn't know you had it in you," she smiled widely.

"Me neither," I said but I didn't smile. How could I? With that act, I'd become everything I hated. I was part of the problem. We ran breathlessly through the dark streets. The lamps from above offered little illumination; this had always been my least favorite time. In darkness, anything can happen and often does. At the last minute Raye pulled us behind an alley and we stopped to catch our breath. I was surprised that no one was following us. Were we really that insignificant?

"We gotta get moving," Raye said pulling me from my thoughts. "Can't waste any more time."

"Raye," I cried as she pulled my arm almost out of its socket. "Why aren't they following us?" I said pulling back.

She turned around, a deadly serious look in her eyes. "Are you blind?"

I didn't know what to say. I looked around but still saw no one. "No, at least I don't think I am," was my meek response.

"There was no one left in the building but a few maids and that guard," she said harshly. "There's no one left to follow us. Diamond took them all. He's going to take out the entire Shields' camp." Her words rang in my ears for a moment.

"No," this couldn't be true. He hadn't said that, had he? "No, Amy's going to warn them. They're going to be alright, they have to be alright," my voice broke on the way out. Tears threatened to destroy me. This couldn't be happening. "My sister," I said brokenly.

"Is as good as dead unless we get some help," Raye said, her voice full of command.

"Help? Who do we call for help?" I asked.

"Serena, I don't have time to hold your hand. You just have to trust me and follow my lead. If you want to save Mina and Shields you're going to have to trust me. That's all I can give you right now," she said as she turned down another alleyway I didn't know existed. I nodded and followed.

Down another alley, then two right turns and then three left ones and then I lost track, my feet simply followed when my brain refused to comprehend, we found a door. Raye knocked three times, with three different knocks each time. The door finally opened and we were huddled in quickly.

"What are you doing here?" asked a familiar voice that I couldn't quite place. I'd heard it before but it seemed like I was remembering a long forgotten dream. The pieces just wouldn't fit together anymore. I couldn't make them make sense.

"We need your help," Raye said with a waver in her voice I didn't recognize. She was always so confidant, so unwavering that I didn't know what, if anything, could make her nervous. This man did. This man, with his long white hair held back in a ponytail and an unshaven face, made Raye nervous.

"I told you never to come back here," he said in a gravely smokers voice. His eyes looked deadly when they looked at her. "And why did you bring her here?" he asked as he saw me. There was something in his eyes, something I didn't recognize. I stepped back and bumped into the man behind me. Three of them surrounded us. We were caged with no escape.

"She's not," Raye began and then a knowing glimmer sparked in her eyes. "Mina," she turned to me, just short of winking. "Remember your lover and Diamond's brother, Kunzite? Look what's become of him now?" she said. I could almost see the wheels turning in her raven head. I knew that she wanted me to play the part but I didn't know what to do, how to be Mina in this situation. I stood silently, met his eyes for a moment then looked down again.

I finally realized where I knew him from. He was the man that visited Endymion in the hospital. He was the one that recruited him into the gangs in the first place. He was the one that Mina had loved and probably the one who had turned her into what she was now. The man who had destroyed my sister looked at me with tenderness, an apology ready on his lips. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. I couldn't do that. I didn't care that Mina would probably forgive him. I couldn't do that, for her sake. He was as much to blame for everything as Diamond. Why was he still alive? Why would he want the whole world to think he was dead? Raye's story had ended with his death but he was clearly still very much alive and she knew about it. Were there any secrets that Raye didn't know about? My hands shook with rage. I was angry with her but I was also anxious. She knew what she was doing and it seemed to take everything for her to even come here. It didn't make it right though.

He seemed sad when he finally spoke. Perhaps, this wasn't the magic reunion he'd wanted. "You shouldn't have brought her here," he said with a great sigh. "I should have remained dead," he said, making the sentence a question.

"We need your help," I whispered brokenly instead of answering his pathetic plea. I knew that Mina would have had some sort of history with this man, she would know what to say but I couldn't be Mina, not after everything that had happened. I wasn't strong enough. But the broken state seemed to move him because he stood up and faced Raye, giving me time to collect myself.

"What do you need?" he asked her.

"We need your help," she reiterated. We need you to do the one thing you couldn't do all those years ago, we need you to kill your brother."


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Here's another chapter. Let me know what you all think. Thanks for the reviews guys. I really appreciate them. **

"We need you to kill your brother," Raye had said. A long moment of silence lingered in the air it was followed by a flurry of movement and then we were all getting into a black unmarked, unremarkable car. I'd seen these types of cars in the past but always dismissed them because they didn't leave the same sensation as the ones Diamond and Darien Shields rode around in. The windows were tinted black so no one ever saw the armed men inside, the armed men that sat beside me now. I hitched a breath as Kunzite caught my gaze for a moment. I didn't know how to respond so I just stared him down and then looked away. His brow creased in confusion. He knew.

"You're not," he started to say but Raye's ahem shut him up and refocused him back to the mission at hand. They locked eyes for a moment and something passed between them silently.

I didn't know them well enough who had the upper hand but we hadn't turned around and Kunzite was still on our side, for now. Perhaps Raye had more power than I thought. The rest of the ride was silent and filled with tension. I could hardly hold still. Aside from me and Raye, the car was filled with Kunzite and three other men all clad in in dark clothes and heavily armed. But then again, what are six people against an army? I hoped we'd have better odds than the ones I was adding up in my head. Looking at Raye's smirk at the side of her mouth I hoped that her confidence was more than just bravado. She always had an ace up her sleeve. Would this one win us the game when it counted, when people's lives were on the line?

We rode up to the location quicker than I expected. I didn't exactly know where the location was in the first place but it seemed to me like we got there really quickly.

"You're staying in the car," Kunzite said to the both of us. I was quick with my rebuttal but Raye put a hand on mine and shook her head.

"We will stay in the car. Take your men, you'll need every body that you have," she said, officially putting us out of the play. I couldn't understand why she'd do that. She didn't seem like the type to miss out on the action. The men, including the driver, shuffled out quickly with only their boot marks as proof that they had ever been there. We sat in the car for a long moment, unmoving.

"Okay, Serena," she began after checking the window.

I looked at her unsure of her next idea. "What?"

"Time to go," she smiled a wicked grin, the same grin she'd worn earlier.

"What do you mean? You just told Kunzite that we were going to wait in the car." I stuttered.

She snorted a laugh, "Of course I did. Do you really think he would have left us unsupervised if he'd know what we were up to?" she rolled her eyes.

"What are we up to?" I asked, not sure if I was ready for the answer.

"We are going to save the day," she laughed before reaching for the handle and opening the car door. "You coming or what?"

"I guess I am," I said. "I thought the back up with the big guys and the guns, I thought they were the ones to save the day," I said under my breath.

"When have you ever seen a man save the day all by himself?" she asked running her hand through her dark hair.

I ran after her as we rounded one of the buildings, not the building the men had run into it was the building across the street, which surprise me but I didn't dare say anything. She was the expert after all. We entered through an unlocked back door, a fact Raye seemed to be really sure of. I opened my mouth to ask about it but decided against it. This didn't seem like the time to talk. She was on a roll and I was simply following her, don't know why she needed me exactly. I didn't until we stealthily entered a room filled with Diamonds men. The moment seemed to freeze then speed up. One minute we were tiptoeing into the room, hoping not to make any noise, and the next a thousand guns were pointed in our faces.

"Hang on boys," Raye raised her hands up in the air although she spoke with an air of indifference. I just couldn't understand this girl. She had the best poker face I'd ever seen. "Don't shoot, we're just a couple of chicks looking for our men," she even managed to wink. I gawked at her in silence. The guns remained aimed at us for a long moment. She finally rolled her eyes. "Jed," she let out a high pitched cry. Jed came in running, his eye wild with panic.

"Don't shoot," he cried and hurried over to us. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to stay at the manor." He seemed more worried than angry and Raye took full advantage of the situation.

"How could we?" she said with her large amber eyes peering at him all childlike. He completely bought it.

"Don't you have something better to do?" he hollered at the crowd of very armed men. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he said in a harsh whisper to Raye. I'm not even sure he saw me. He was so focused on her.

"I'm trying to save your life," she replied with haughty anger.

I couldn't for the life of me understand what she was hoping to get out of this scenario. Her large eyes met his stern ones but I could tell he was crumbling before her. He was just about to give in to her wishes when Diamond entered the room. A dark look took over his face.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked. Jed's back went straight and he turned toward Diamond. There was fear in his blue eyes. It the first time I'd seen the blond man look the least bit afraid.

"I was just about to find out," Jed said, putting on a mask of anger and rigidity. "It seems that your guard wasn't as good as you said he would be," Jed said with a harshness I hadn't expected.

"What are you doing here little one?" Diamond said as he came closer to me, he rand a hand through my blond hair and I shivered, repulsed at the sensation.

"I" I stuttered, "we're here to," I looked to Raye for help but she had her eyes glued to Jed's unreadable ones. Finally after a minute of stuttering she took pity on me and saved me. I sighed as she started speaking.

"We are here to save the day," she said confidently.

"And how are you going to do that?" Diamond said with a dismissive laugh.

"Well we could tell you that Kunzites men are just across the street, ready to aid Shields with whatever he needs," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Raye," I started but she elbowed me in the ribs.

I couldn't understand what was going on. Whose side was she on? Why would she betray Kunzite and Darien Shields and Mina? Why would she do all that she'd done to help if she was going to double cross everyone? It didn't make sense. I thought she was the one person I could trust. I thought she was the one who would save all our lives. But it turns out I was wrong. It turns out that she was the best spy because her loyalties were so deeply complicated that no one would ever know whose side she really was on. With that sentence she'd just condemned my sister to death. I could never forgive her for that. I opened my mouth to cry out but her amber eyes cut me deeper than a knife. She wanted me to trust her. She wanted me to go along with it. I just didn't understand why. Tears threatened to spill over but I kept them at bay. I didn't know what else to do. I didn't know how to fix this. If the one person I'd counted on was a traitor than we really were all dead.

"Are you sure," Diamond asked quickly. I didn't even have time to process the consequences of Raye's decision before he'd already jumped ready to act.

"We just saw them go into the building," she said quickly. "I could show you," she said aiming the words at Jed. He met her eyes for a long moment.

"Kunzites men," Jed said quietly. "How can you be sure?" The question hung in the air. I was ready to tell him that the reason we were sure they were Kunzite's men was because Kunzite was with them but I was too afraid to speak.

"I'm sure," she said. "I can show you which way they went," she said. "I can show you, Jed."

"Fine," Jed said and then turned toward Diamond. "I'm going to follow this lead. How well can we trust a woman's word anyway?" he said and Diamond laughed a hearty laugh.

"Don't take too long. We need to act quickly," Diamond responded, already retreating into the other room and barking order at the other men.

"Follow me," Raye said leading towards the back door we'd come through. Jed followed and so did I because I just had to trust her. I just had to. There was nothing else I would do. She led us back to the large car with the tinted windows.

"This is it?" he asked, unsure.

"I think I saw someone in there," she said. "Maybe we should go in? Find some clues?" she asked opening the door.

"Right," he said as he slid in before the two of us. A moment later the two of us followed him. Raye looked nervous for the first time. I couldn't figure out why this would faze her when nothing else seemed to. "There's no one here," Jed said once we were all in. "There's no proof that they're his men and not Shields'" he said and turned toward Raye.

"I guess not," she said softly. "Jed," she said softly. "You know I love you, right?" her amber eyes were almost tearful.

"Of course, why would you ask?" he said giving her a quizzical look.

"Good," she smiled and then hit him over the head with the butt of a gun she pulled underneath one of the pillows in the leather-clad car. He went down like a rock about the same time that my mouth did.

"Okay," she turned to me once she'd checked Jed's pulse and turned him on his back so that his breathing wasn't impaired. "He's going to have a really bad headache when he wakes up," she smiled up at me from her crouched position near his body."

"I have no idea what's going on," I said nervously.

"I couldn't very well let him die, now could I?" she said rolling her amber eyes. "What's a girl to do when the man she loves is on the losing side?"

"But you told Diamond that Kunzite's men are across the street," I stuttered out a response. If only my brain could process everything. She was still on my side, I think. She was still going to help me save my sister's life.

"I didn't have a choice," she said. "I guess we oughta go in and tell them that Diamond knows," she laughed. All the worry from before seemed to have evaporated from her shoulders, now that Jed was safely out of harm's way.

"What do we do now?" I asked because I didn't know what else to do.

"We don't do anything," she said brushing his blond hair out of his eyes. He looked peaceful in his sleep; as though he sensed that she was there. In real life though, I'd suspect that he'd be really angry with her.

"What do you mean?" I asked. It was so easy to get caught up in their romance, all the things they'd gone through, how loyal they were to one another but in the end they were only looking out for one another, at least Raye was. She would always do what was best for her and Jed. The rest of the world wasn't so lucky.

"I'm going to stay here and make sure sleeping beauty doesn't wake up and try to save the day," she said with so much love and emotion I was awestruck. "It's up to you now, and you'd better hurry."

"I don't even know what to do," I said hopelessly.

"Of course you do, Serena. Go in there and save your sister and the man you claim to love. Warn them and get them to safety." She spoke softly, almost dreamily. She was in her own world. "I'll stay here until you all come back, or at least until the bullets start coming our way. Serena if I were you, I'd hurry."


	15. Chapter 15

This time around, I didn't sneak in the back door. This time around, I went straight for the front door where I'd seen Kunzite and his men enter a few moments before. My hurt was thumping loudly in my chest. Even if the front door hadn't creaked like it was going to fall off the hinges right as I opened it, my heart beat would have given me away.

I walked in slowly and just as Diamond's men had done, as soon as I entered the building, I had a million guns pointed at my face. This time around I didn't have Raye to break the tension. I stood there shaking like deer caught in headlights. This building was very much like the other I'd just left with Jed and Raye. It was square and compacted tightly with rows upon rows of stairs leading up into the sky. The first floor was where all the action was really taking place. Guns and bodies scurried back and forth doing whatever it is people did right before a gang showdown, they'd been scurrying until I walked in. Now, the silence stretched so thin that I thought I was going to die simply because of the awkwardness—that and the bullets that could kill me at any moment if one of the boys who held the guns let their finger slip on the trigger.

"I'm unarmed," I said raising my hands up like I'd seen on cop shows.

"What are you doing here?" I heard Kunzite's reply. "I told you to stay in the car," he said and then cursed under his breath. Mina wasn't far behind. She seemed like a shadow, following his every move. He moved, she moved.

"Serena?" Mina asked. Her cheeks were a bright pink and her lipstick was smeared on her lips. Of course they'd been kissing. If this man was really as important to my sister as Raye said he was, of course they'd get right down to the reuniting part of their reunion.

"I told her to stay in the car," Kunzite said turning to my sister. To his credit, his tone with Mina was completely different than the one he'd used with me. His eyes softened and his voice took on a loving quality I'd yet to see in him. When he'd looked at me, thinking I was Mina, he'd been curious and now that he had Mina at arm's length he was a completely different man. Her very presence softened the rugged man.

"Well, I didn't listen to you," I said, doing my best impression of Raye. She got away with being a spitfire, couldn't I?

"Obviously," he said under his breath. Mina's sharp gaze silenced him.

"It's dangerous, Serena," Mina spoke, using the same tone she'd always used with me. I would never be strong enough to handle anything in her eyes. It didn't matter that I'd spent the last few weeks pretending to be her, Mina would always protect me, even when it was my turn to protect her.

"Serena?" A new voice rang out in the halls. Darien's dark head appeared and a surprised look took over his features. For one brief moment, I'm sure I was the only one to notice it, he looked hurt and afraid. Afraid of what?—it couldn't be me, could it? I couldn't hurt him. No one could hurt him. The moment passed quickly and the stoic face was back before I even had a chance to register what I'd witnessed. "Why is she here?" he demanded of Kunzite. They hadn't really seemed to have as happy a reunion as Mina and Kunzite had.

"I told her to stay in the car," Kunzite repeated. He shot me an angry look.

"I'll get her out of here," Mina said quickly.

She was still afraid of Darien. She didn't know him like I did. She still saw him as the biggest crime boss in the area. And before her and every other soul in the room, he was exactly that. I guess he only showed his softer side to me. That should have made me feel better but it didn't, not when I knew what his love for me had made him become. It was his love for me and a huge misunderstanding that made Darien who he was now. He was no longer the boy I'd loved, he was a dangerous man and even my fearless sister had the decency to fear him. As Mina reached to lead me away, I stopped her. I dug my heels into the old yellow floorboards and begged her to listen, for them all to listen.

"Mina stop," I cried. I looked at Darien and silently begged him.

"This isn't safe," Mina said repeatedly as I fought against her.

"Diamond knows Kunzite's here," I cried. This silence the room once more. They all stared at me. No one moved or spoke for some time and then they all spoke at once. The spell was broken and I couldn't make out which voice to answer first. Finally Darien silenced the room with a loud whistle and looked at me. I think for the first time, both my sister and my lover saw me as more than just someone who needed protection.

"How?" he said the one word with such fierceness that I almost didn't answer him.

"We told him," I said, meek as a mouse. The room erupted again but this time Darien pulled me away instead of silencing the commotion. In the whisk of a moment we were standing face to face, chest to chest in a small room that probably served more as a closet than anything else. I couldn't help the blush that spread over my cheeks. It had only been one day since Darien and I had made love. The electricity still sparked between us.

"I know you hate me," he said, catching me completely off guard. His words couldn't have been farther from the truth. I opened my mouth to object but he put his hand to my lips, gently. "You have every right to hate me," now I was confused. What had he done? My assumptions had been wrong, hadn't they? Mina and Darien couldn't be in an affair, not with the way she'd just been kissing Kunzite. "I was stupid enough to confuse you and Mina," he said bitterly. "If I'd only trusted that you wouldn't do that to me, none of this would have happened and I wouldn't have treated you the way I have, I wouldn't have become this person that I am. I'm sorry," he finished. I opened my mouth to speak and his hand stopped me again. What now? "But you can't go spilling all our secrets to the enemy and especially not when you're going to confess afterwards," he finished.

I waited a beat. He didn't try to stop me this time. I spoke. "Raye didn't tell me what she was planning on doing. She wanted to remove Jed from the fight. She knocked him out in the back of the car," I said quickly. "I wouldn't betray you like that," I whispered the last part. "I wouldn't ever," I reiterated.

Darien looked into my eyes for a long moment then deciding that I was trustworthy he nodded. "Alright," he said. "That still doesn't change the situation. Diamond knows that Kunzite's here, we've lost the advantage," he sighed heavily.

"He doesn't know that he's lost his right hand man," I said quickly. "And…and… I could tell you how many men I saw with him. There weren't that many," I said slowly. "And he doesn't know that I'm on your side," I said the last part with triumphant relief. I could be of some use. I could do something. I could help. Now, all they had to do was let me.

"It's too dangerous," Darien said as the door to our little closet opened abruptly.

"What's too dangerous?" Kunzite asked looking at Darien. The two men shared a look. Darien didn't seem pleased that Kunzite had interrupted us.

"Nothing," he said quickly and ushered me out of the room, his hand on the small of my back.

I felt electricity tingle up and down my spine. How could a simple touch do such things to my body? I'd always prided myself on being above feelings like this and here I was completely changed but just a simple touch. It didn't make sense and this definitely wasn't the right time and place. This was the time to be strong and courageous. Kunzite didn't seem to want to protect me the way my sister and Darien did, he would understand and be on my side. I hoped.

"Diamond doesn't know that I'm here," I said, looking only at Kunzite. "He thinks I'm on his side."

"So do I," Kunzite responded unkindly. "Why else would you go off and tell him?" his sharp tone brought on another look from Mina but he didn't notice.

"Raye took out Diamond's right hand man," Darien said quickly, protecting me from Kunzite's anger. "He's unconscious in your car."

"I should have known," Kunzite said under his breath. "At least we have that to our advantage," he said dismissing me altogether. So much for him being on my side.

"I can help," I said as they prepared to drop the subject altogether. "I can lead Diamond astray. We can trick him."

"Like I said," Darien interrupted, "it's too dangerous."

"Totally," Mina chimed in from behind Kunzites strong shoulders. "Way too dangerous."

"He doesn't know I'm not with him," I cried. "I could use misinformation, say that you two got into a fight that you don't want to work togher," I said. "It wouldn't be far from the truth it seems," I said the last part exasperated.

"That's not a bad idea," Kunzite said quickly.

"It's a terrible idea," Darien replied. The two men stared each other down.

"I agree, she's not ready for this," Mina said.

"You don't have to protect me," I said, rather I whined. It wasn't my proudest moment but I made up for it a second later. "I can help, I can even save lives, it doesn't have to go down this way," I said.

"She's right," Kunzite said. The other two glared at him.

The room had continued its hum of bullets being loaded into guns and men and boys preparing for battle. I looked at them; some of them were barely teenagers. Boys that should have been chasing girls and laughing, enjoying their childhood were equipped with weapons and scars on their hands. This wasn't right. Their lives were precious and shouldn't be wasted on something like this. Mina noticed my disbelief. She understood how much it hurt me to see these children ready to lay down their lives for things they had nothing to do with. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, tears of frustration.

"Stop," I cried to the room. The chaos ceased. They stared at me with their protruding bones and jaunt cheeks. They were hungry and uneducated and unsure but here they were ready to die. It was too horrible to comprehend. I knew I had to do something and now I knew what that was. I cleared my throat and opened my mouth. I looked at Darien one last time and hoped he would understand and wouldn't hate me.

"What are you fighting for?" I asked the children in the room. They stared quietly. No one spoke. "Why are you willing to die for a war that doesn't concern you? Even if you win, you won't win. You will never win if this keeps up." My voice carried with more strength than I thought was possible. The glazed eyes that stared at me left me trembling.

"What are you doing?" Darien said softly in my ear. He reached for my arm to pull me out of the room but I wouldn't let him.

"You are wrong," I said to him. "This is wrong."

"It's not like you can win a war with words," Kunzite said, for once the two men seemed to agree.

"Wanna bet?" Mina said, coming to my rescue. She eyed both men equally. "I bet my sister can do it," she smiled.

"How are you going to do anything but get yourself killed?" Darien said, exasperated.

I looked into his eyes. He really didn't think there would be an end to this war. I hoped he was wrong. "Only Diamond and a few of his conspirators know that Kunzite is alive. And before Kunzite "died,"" I said with air quotes. "He was the boss of this whole city right?"

"Yeah," Kunzite replied. "But that doesn't mean anything if there's no one to follow me." He looked defeated and I hated him for that.

"They still speak of you as if you were alive. In their minds you will always be the most powerful man they've ever known. Imagine what would happen if you showed up and told them to put their weapons down," I said. "Instead of bringing more war to our city, what about if you brought peace?"

"I won't get a word out before the first bullet fires off, Diamond will make sure of that," he said through gritted teeth.

"Diamond will kill him on the spot," Darien agreed, wearily.

"They won't fire on me," I said. This was the moment, this was the moment that I would have to be brave. I hoped I could do it. "I can walk out there and tell them that Diamond's been lying to them all this time that Kunzite isn't really dead."

"What's to stop Diamond from shooting you?" Kunzite asked. Darien visibly shivered at the thought.

"Nothing I guess," I said. The men looked ready to forget my words altogether. "He'll be surprised and then Kunzite can show up," I said pointing my head toward him. "You can save the day and so many lives. Don't you want that?"

"This is stupid," Kunzite said quickly.

"No it's not," Mina spoke quickly. "Peace is always smarter than war. It takes real courage to consider peace. Any dimwit with a rock can kill another person, working things out is much more difficult."

"How can we work things out with Diamond?" Darien replied, his voice shaking with rage. He didn't like the way the conversation was heading.

"You don't have to work things out with him," I whispered. "If there's a person on this Earth who deserves what he'll get it's Diamond. Those kids idolize Kunzite and even though he's been gone for years, they'll be awestruck. Maybe it will be long enough to give them pause."

"She's right," one of the boys said. Another one agreed. More followed. "Don't make us fight," a blue eyed boy with blond hair said solemnly.

Darien looked at them, his makeshift little army of children. It must have hit a nerve. He sighed and turned his head toward me. He kissed me on the mouth roughly, right in front of everyone. "You're the most stubborn and annoying right person I've ever met. I don't like it but I'll agree to it."

I blushed and nodded quickly. I didn't have any words after that kiss. A kiss from this man was like kryptonite. I couldn't think when he touched me, least of all kissed me.

Moments later I was standing between the gap of readied and armed children and the men who led them. Kunzite remained hidden, waiting for the right moment to reveal himself.

Diamond was surprised, "Serena?" he asked. His voice seemed carry concern. He couldn't have actually grown fond of me. That couldn't be possible.

I looked into his eyes for a brief moment and then let my speech spread out through my lips. The hushed whispers started before I even got a chance to finish. I turned around to find Kunzite standing behind me. He looked almost regal. Diamond on the other hand looked petrified. His army was eyeing him with contempt and distrust. He aimed his gun at Kunzites chest and I knew what I had to do even before I had the chance to think it through. As soon as I heard the shot I was up in the air, pushing Kunzite out of the way. No one else fired a shot. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a man who looked surprisingly a lot like Jed pulling the weapon out of Diamond's hands, Raye had gotten to him. I thought. I didn't even feel any pain and I looked down at my body. Right where my arm and shoulder connected I could see a bright red splotch as if someone has spilled ketchup on my shirt.

"It doesn't even hurt," I said to no one in particular. A moment later the night sky was dancing above my head, I didn't even have to lift my head up to see it. Then I realized that I had fallen and something warm had caught me. I looked up. "Darien," I whispered. Everything was moving so slowly, time was literally slowing down and I could catch every moment but it seemed to last far too long so I didn't even understand what he was saying, what anyone was saying. I closed my eyes, thinking how beautiful his blue eyes were, a shade darker than the night sky.

**Wouldn't it be awful if I ended it there? I'm not going to do that**.

I woke up to an annoying beeping sound, it sounded like my alarm clock and I tried to reach out my left arm to shut it off but found that it was immobile. I opened my weary eyes and saw the bandage on my shoulder. Then I felt the pain.

"Don't move your shoulder," someone said in a breathy voice.

I looked up to see the same blue eyes I'd seen when I'd fallen asleep. "Darien," I said, a smile crossing my face. "What happened?" I said, my throat felt dry, "water," I said.

"Here," he lifted a cup to my mouth and helped me gulp down the cool liquid. After I'd satisfied my thirst he spoke softly, as if not to wake someone. I was already awake then I noticed another person sitting in the chair next to him. Mina. Of course she'd be here with me. They always had to protect me.

"You were right," he said softly.

"What else is new?" I smiled.

"You got shot," Darien reprimanded. He didn't like my joke apparently.

"Did anyone else get hurt?" I asked, remembering the standoff.

"No, well Jed knocked Diamond out cold but that doesn't really count," he smiled then his smiled changed into a deep frown. "I thought you were going to die, there was so much blood and you went to shock. I didn't know what to do. If it weren't for Mina you wouldn't have survived." He said quickly.

"She was always a better nurse than I was," I said softly. She looked so peaceful asleep, my big overprotective sister.

"Yeah, that's what the head nurse said when the ambulance brought you in," he sighed. "I still think you were the best nurse I've ever had." He smiled a coy smile as the memories replayed through my mind.

"You didn't have Mina as a nurse," I said, my insecurities surfacing.

"It wouldn't have mattered if I'd met her first, Serena. I would always have loved you, don't you know that by now?" he said with such ferocity on his voice that it almost frightened me.

"I do now," I said softly, tears staining my cheeks. Smiling so much hurt but I wouldn't stop, couldn't stop.

"The bad news is that now you're going to have to put up with me visiting you in the hospital while you recover," he said, shrugging.

"That won't be so bad," I said. "As long as you bring me chocolate," I said as an afterthought.

"You've got yourself a deal," he smiled.

"And you never leave me," I whispered as the room started spinning again.

"Never," I heard him say and then I felt his lips on my forehead. "Sleep, get your rest. You're going to need it. I'm never leaving you again." He whispered in my ear. It tickled in a pleasant way. All was finally right with the world, at least my small part of it.

**So that's it. Thanks for sticking around with me until I finally figured out how it would all work out. I've really enjoyed this story and I hope you guys did too. **


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